Love's Another Sterile Gift
by UsernameOK
Summary: In her was his salvation. Yandere!Chisaki Kai (Overhaul)/OC. Spoilers for Internship Arc! ON HIATUS.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: Okay, I know I have like six other stories to finish. But...crap I'm getting more invested and it might be longer than I thought...please enjoy and beware of spoilers!**

"This definitely makes our job a bit easier."

"Yes ma'am." Kiyoko nodded to her superior absently as she made sure all the necessary supplies were on hand.

"Boy, this world just seems to become more and more scary nowadays. It's a wonder we all haven't lost it. Minami-chan, hurry up. How you can daydream in a place like this chock full of villains is a mystery."

"I'm sorry ma'am." Kiyoko was looking for the surgical masks located on the bottom of the metal cart.

"Why do you bother with those things? Everything in this place is as sterile as can be. Not that they deserve it."

The older nurse scoffed lightly; their patient offered no rebuff. He himself hardly seemed awake, his pinprick eyes staring off into nothing as he looked straight ahead; Kiyoko pulled the mask over his face despite Hana's criticisms.

In some ways, she supposed there was a point in the matter; a man like Chisaki Kai who had reportedly been not only involved with the yakuza, the murder and injury of heroes, and the endangerment of a child, probably deserved a lot more than his hands being cut off and left Quirkless.

"It's fitting, isn't it?" Hana sighed as she directed Kiyoko to bring the clean bedpan.

"Chisaki-san, I need to move you now. Tell me if you feel any discomfort."

"He won't answer you know."

Kiyoko was abashed. "But aren't we supposed to tell the patients what we do before-"

"Sweetie, this is a villain hospital. Try to show a little backbone; or maybe you feel his pain?"

"Ma'am?"

"Well, I guess being born Quirkless isn't the same as getting it taken away." Hana conceded as she supervised Kiyoko while she carefully moved Chisaki's hospital gown upward. "I don't get how you ended up working here in the first place. Honestly, you need to toughen up if you want to last here. Stop being so timid around the villains."

"I don't mean to...Chisaki-san, I'm going to put the bedpan underneath you now. Me and Nurse Tanaka will turn around to give you privacy."

Kiyoko could only imagine how degrading it felt to not be able to use the bathroom on your own; she feared for the day she may need help herself. Perhaps this was why she couldn't help show some level of consideration to her patients; she prayed when the time came, her own doctor or nurse would follow protocol and be at least decent to her vulnerable state.

It was even more of a fear since Kiyoko had no Quirk to help herself in the way many others did, though not everyone had necessarily useful powers. Still, it was her Quirklessness that gave her a leg up when it came to applying for the position she held now; the hospital staff actually prefered those who didn't have Quirks that could be considered dangerous or used in anyway to help patient's escape or harm anyone. Coupled with her qualifications and her obedient, subdued personality, Kiyoko was a good fit.

In the past they had issues with patients being mistreated, and staff regularly found subtle ways to violate policies in place to protect the well being of the individuals they were expected to treat, despicable villains or not. It was their job and Kiyoko was of the right temperament and level of professionalism to pull it off.

If anything, it was colleagues like Hana that pushed her around more often than any of their ill tempered or frankly unhinged patients; Kiyoko had heard her and others make jabs when they believed she was not listening on her lack of Quirk, even a useless one. She resolved not to pay it any mind; it was not the first time people had done so, and it wouldn't be the last.

If she could change bedpans and clean up afterward, Kiyoko figured teasing was the least she could handle. This was only the fourth time she had aided the patient under Hana's supervision.

Chisaki Kai; for someone who seemed so fearsome, he had been oddly complacent and silent. Since she had begun the round with Hana, he had not spoken or complained when she had to clean him or given any hint to show he was even aware of her presence or the necessary invasion of his privacy. It was decided he would not be given prosthetics; the idea was too risky should he somehow be able to activate his Quirk through other means or attack the staff.

Besides, Kiyoko knew no one really cared to bother giving him any sort of mobility. It was easier in some ways to keep patients invalid.

Once Kiyoko was finished redressing Chisaki, she took the bedpan to the bathroom adjacent to his bed and dumped the contents out into the toilet, making sure to check first for any abnormalities. The she went to work on scrubbing the pan with a hard bristled sponge.

"Minami-chan, will you hurry it up? I'm going to lunch in five minutes." Hana made no pretense of resenting she had to supervise her; Kiyoko did not bother to remind her it would be the last time the older nurse would need to.

"I'm sorry, I'm nearly done-oh!"

The wet bedpan slipped from her gloved hands onto the floor; Kiyoko bent over to pick it up to rewash it. Hana sighed heavily.

"Can't you do anything right? Look, I'm going to be late. You're doing fine enough and we haven't heard a peep from this villain in weeks anyway. Think you can handle finishing up in here?"

"Yes ma'am."

Hana rolled her eyes. "And you don't need to keep giving him those masks."

"But the doctor said he might have mysophobia. Should we try to-?"

"Fine, do what you want." Hana was becoming more irritable the longer she spoke to Kiyoko, who often frustrated her with her rigid following of protocol. "Let them walk over you."

Kiyoko flinched as the door shut deftly; she turned back to the mirror and continued to scrub out the bedpan until she was certain it was clean and dried it off with paper towels. When she put it back on the shelf of the mobile cart, Kiyoko went back to Chisaki.

"Chisaki-san, I need to undo your bandages and sterilize the wounds. It may look discomforting, so try to-"

"Just get on with it."

Kiyoko shut her mouth closed and wasted no time gently unrolling the old wrappings from the stumps that were once his arms. The end was smooth and shiney, the skin pulled over the once gaping wound; there was a clear scar that would develop. For now, Kiyoko cleaned the slight opening with antiseptic; she knew there were staff members who could at least make the healing process less painful, but it was highly unlikely they felt it necessary.

 _"How can they act how they do? How do two wrongs make a right? At the very least, why would they want to stoop to the level of villains like this man and the others here?"_

"The strings on this mask are too loose."

Kiyoko's eyes involuntarily met his; she was used to looking into the eyes of men and women who stared right through her, who would most likely kill her if given the opportunity, or worse. Since the day Chisaki Kai had arrived at the hospital, his eyes had been the pinnacle of hollow, reflecting nothing and seeing nothing.

They shined when she stared back and used the tips of her fingers to undo the strings of the surgical mask from behind his ears. Even with how careful she was trying to be, her skin still managed to make contact with the tips of his hair and the rim of his earlobe.

"Excuse me, I'll get another if they make you feel at ease."

"You don't have to be so careful. I don't care if you touch me. You're not diseased."

Kiyoko's polite smile faltered for an instant. "I hope so. If that was the case, I wouldn't be able to come in to work after all. The last thing my supervisors want is an ill person treating others already in bad health."

"That's not what I meant. Will you be my regular nurse?"

"Yes, though the doctor will still come by to check on your amputations until they're fully healed."

Chisaki continued to stare. "If it's just you, you don't have to put the mask on me. I wouldn't want you to get in trouble with that hag."

"Chisaki-san, Nurse-"

"I couldn't care less what her title or name is." Chisaki cut her off quietly.

Before Kiyoko could say anymore, Hana herself came sweeping through, going straight to the cart.

"Forgot my ID badge." she stopped and gave Kiyoko and Chisaki a strange look. "Don't tell me you're still fiddling with the mask thing?"

"Ma'am, I-"

"You silly girl. Just do your job and get on with it, won't you? You should have been done and on to the next room by now. Can't you do anything without help?" Hana let out a deep breath and walked over briskly, hand ready to snatch the offending object from Chisaki's face.

She screamed as he nearly bit the joining skin between her thumb and forefinger; after a moment, her palm struck his cheek hard enough to make his neck twist and his head fall off the pillow.

"Nurse, please, control yourself!" Kiyoko stepped in front of the bed and took Hana's arm in her hand firmly. "This is not how we do things! Please, just calm down."

"Quirkless freak."

Hana yanked away from the younger woman's grip and sent her a nasty look as she violently grabbed her ID and stuffed the mask into the trash.

"He's your problem now. Good luck."

Kiyoko jumped as the door slammed shut and she was left alone with Chisaki; his even breathing was the only thing she could hear.

"There's no need to be afraid Minami-san. I won't bite."

"I...I still need to clean you. Are you calm?"

"Yes." Chisaki's expression had not changed in the slightest since the attempted attack.

Kiyoko went to the bathroom and filled the small tub with warm water and added plenty of soap; she found a clean rag to use, somehow keeping her hands from trembling as she prepared her supplies. It was not the first time she had witnessed a villain trying to attack one of her colleagues. Kiyoko herself had been on the bad end of a patient's temper a few too many times for her own comfort; but the change in Chisaki's mood was what managed to unsettle her. He allowed her to scrub his shoulders and neck with easy compliance, even moving himself to make it easier to reach certain spots.

"Chisaki-san, I need to take off your pants now."

"Fine."

He watched her unblinkingly, raising his hips so she could pull the thin fabric off; typically it was standard that male were washed and changed by male staff, and the same went for women. Unfortunately, resources were few along with the ratio of male to female employees; in general, there weren't many willing to work in such a place, let alone take on such tasks. Kiyoko had seen more than her fair share of areas where the sun didn't shine, and now she hardly spared a glance when having to clean a man. The only thing that disturbed her was the fact that unlike most who prefered to stare at the ceiling or anything else as Kiyoko went about her cleaning, Chisaki had purposefully scooted up so he could watch her.

 _"I heard he was very mindful of hygiene. Chances are he wants to make sure I'm doing a good job. A Quirkless freak like me would need to be supervised even by criminals to make sure they don't screw up…"_

"That hag had a point though. You shouldn't allow trash to speak to you in a such a way, especially not people like her who are the ones diseased to the touch."

Kiyoko continued to run the rag over his legs. "Please Chisaki-san, we don't talk about the staff that way. I apologize for Nurse Hana though, she went too far. I will not allow that to happen while you're under my care here."

"I'm glad. You seem to not comprehend how beneath you she is though."

Kiyoko said nothing; sometimes it was best to not speak to the patients. Chisaki seemed to be not know what he was saying, but that was understandable. He didn't seem quite right in the head at all; this was in fact the first time Kiyoko had heard him speak at all since she began tending to him on her route.

"A woman like you, untouched and clean…"

She unwillingly looked up; Chisaki obliged her silent question.

"You're Quirkless. You were lucky enough to be one of the 20% of the population born uncontaminated. I envy you. Of course, I hoped to use my own disease to somehow find a way to rid the world of the corruption, to bring the Shie Hassaikai to its former glory-"

Chisaki fell silent and a sudden tension hung about him; Kiyoko had not made any effort to stop him from speaking. It had been a while since he had spoken; Chisaki probably didn't mean to speak so much, though Kiyoko was hardly surprised. She was often so quiet, people commented that talking to her was very much like using a sounding board to verbally express their thoughts. In another life, she might have entertained the idea of being a therapist.

"My apologies. I'm sure a 'nice' girl like yourself wouldn't care to hear about such things."

Kiyoko didn't miss the hint of derision in his tone; many of the villains commented often on how people like her could never hope to understand why they did the things they did. Her world and theirs were as far apart as could be.

"If you would like, I don't mind listening." Kiyoko replied softly as she ran the rag over his cheek. "I should tell you now, frequently the staff here may be questioned on the possibility they hear any information pertaining to cases the authorities are investigating. If you tell me something they need to now, I've been sworn to not keep it a secret. If what you speak to me about doesn't fall into the this category, it will be kept in confidence."

"Hospital policy?"

"No, mine." Kiyoko offered a smile. "If it's not necessary, I don't think it's right to tell every little thing I hear from the patients. A few have no one to really talk with. Some of the staff here…"

"They aren't quite so kind as you."

Kiyoko made sure to be extra careful cleaning the half of his face Hana had stricken. "Some people here are just very tired. Not many of the patient's here are so cooperative when we try to administer medicine or treatments. I suppose it's to be expected."

"I see no reason to not cooperate. You are the one seeing to me and you've shown me consideration, more than anyone else I've come into contact with so far here."

Kiyoko only smiled vaguely; flattery was expected to be endured and ignored for the most part. She kept silent, resuming a look of concentration as she wiped his now reddened cheek, no doubt stinging from the harsh slap. She placed her fingers on his cheek and indeed the skin was hot; she frowned and thought to get some ice or cream to lessen any bruising. Old as she was, frail Hana wasn't.

"Chisaki-san, does it hurt very much?"

Chisaki's eyes found hers. "Not so much anymore."

Kiyoko had to admit, he had quite the silver tongue for a man who spoke so little previously.

"Minami-san?"

Kiyoko was searching the cabinet for an ice pack. "Yes Chisaki-san?"

"What do you know about yakuza?"


	2. Chapter 2

After his first few days residing in the hospital, Chisaki considered biting off his tongue so he might bleed out and end the misery of being around so much filth.

Eri, the serum, the Eight Precepts of Death, his arms. Gone.

It was all for nothing; his determination to repay the boss and restore the yakuza name to its former glory was taken in one fell swoop by both heroes and villain. The afflicted who had changed the system on it's head, who made his kind an endangered species, had taken everything from him.

It would certainly be easy. The staff were underfunded, dispirited, and would not care very much should he die in their custody; at best they were disdainful and apathetic, at worst outright neglectful. It had been a week before Chisaki had been cleaned and fed properly; he could feel his skin burning almost constantly. Sleep was all he could do to escape, but it was useless when even his unconscious thoughts were on a repeated loop, always ending with Shigaraki standing over him with that sickeningly smug smile as he jeered and reminded him of just how far Chisaki had fallen.

It was only with the deepest loathing that Chisaki could find it in himself to admit that the villain was not entirely wrong when he pointed out that he was also infected; still, it was Chisaki's Quirk that would have aided in cleansing the world, and so as much as he despised it, he also took for granted that he too was corrupted, because at least it would serve a purpose.

Chisaki wondered if his boss was apprehended; the man who had said no to him, who refused his grand plans to cling to old ways that had long since stagnated their organization. He would never be able to repay him now. It was over. All he could do now was rot away.

"How is the pain in your arms?"

"It hasn't gotten any worse."

Kiyoko scribbled down her notes attached to the clipboard. "Chisaki-san, would you say the dosage we have you on now is fine currently?"

"Yes."

Chisaki had never met a naturally Quirkless person before; unlike him who was purged in the most ruthless way possible, Kiyoko simple was what she was. From the murmurs, comments, and the way both colleagues and superiors hassled her on even the most trivial things, it was clear Kiyoko was being singled out for all the wrong reasons.

What's more, she never seemed to take offense or even show she noticed this treatment; that being said, she would apologize and follow instructions and listen to reprimands without so much as a flush. This quiet strength was subtle, but obvious when all one could do was be confined to a bed and observe the world around them.

Chisaki found her compassion to be frankly sickening at first; he was under the impression she was another of the afflicted, the people who thought their powers could somehow make them unjustifiably able, another victim of the hero syndrome that Quirks perpetuated.

The fifth day of Chisaki's hospitalization, a fever had broken out, wracking his body with sweats and aches; his throat burned so that he was certain he might die before the morning had come. The idea of bleeding out seemed twice as appealing.

In the middle of the night she had come to his room with a cold glass of water and a damp rag clutched in hand as she made her way to his side, tentatively, slowly, as though he might snap at her. No one had come to check up on him since that morning. No one cared to.

Until that night.

"Get off me."

"You're sick Chisaki-san."

"Shut your mouth."

"Chisaki-san, please be reasonable."

"I abandoned that name."

Kiyoko looked confused, eyes going from the chart in her hand to look down at his face; Chisaki's voice was a strangled whisper, but the hateful way he stared up at her was clear as day.

"I abandoned it...it's all gone…"

"Gone?" Kiyoko leaned in to hear him; it was almost as though she weren't actually present. She questioned whether Chisaki was even wholly conscious.

"Everything is lost...leave me. I'm sure it's no skin off your or anyone else's back if one of your patients bit the dust in the middle of the night."

Kiyoko was stunned; he had spoken hardly a word to anyone since his arrival and now he was basically ordering her to let him die.

"What are you waiting for? Get out. No one would know if you left."

"I would."

Chisaki could hardly see the woman's face; the room's only light was out. No one had bothered to change the dead bulb; the only light came from the half open window that no one bothered to close to keep out the chilly night air. In the future he was only able to remember her by voice and a faint profile. It was the only way to prove she hadn't been a dream.

"It would go against everything I believe in to allow one of my patients to suffer." Kiyoko smiled ruefully as she set down her clipboard and stooped down to dip the rag into the bucket of cold water. "I don't blame you if you feel trapped here...but you are still alive."

"Barely."

"Isn't there something you still want to do, even as you are? It may not be a Quirk, but that's something that makes even someone like me able to try." Kiyoko came closer with her supplies, voice even and soft so not to cause him alarm; she smelled like disinfectant. "I suppose at the end of the day, all people really have is their own will."

Kiyoko squeezed the excess water out of the rag and back into the plastic bucket; Chisaki felt an automatic sense of relief when she placed her cool, damp hand on the back of his forehead and cheeks. He furiously fought against it, twisting his head sharply to the side.

"Being Quirkless has toughened me up in a respect. It's made me hopeful that someday, maybe I can be special, somehow, perhaps even to someone; I've come this far without any advantages. Many of the patients here also have that hope, even if they don't wish to say so."

Chisaki stopped any form of struggle when Kiyoko brought a wet rag to his burning neck. _"Quirkless?"_

"By the way, doesn't your name read as "restoration" and "a thousand blossoms"? I would say that's a good omen."

 _"For what? How can that name give me anything? Everything is over. It's all gone because of those diseased bastards. My power, my goals, my group, my home….I have nothing."_

Kiyoko would never understand. She came from another world, a world where desperate measures and acts of cruelty were condemned; she could never approve of or comprehend him and the things he did to keep what was his.

To repay a debt, to settle a score, to rebuild a forgotten name; all these things were lost on a mind preoccupied with lawful justice and compassion.

"Your name makes me think of something starting over and becoming something new...something as amazing as a thousand blossoms. It just sounds like a good fortune to me." Kiyoko chuckled self deprecatingly, softly in that still, stuffy room. "The characters in my name just read as something like 'pure child of the south'. It's an old family name." she shook her head in amusement at the triviality of it. "It's funny how people hold on to certain things without any real reason."

Chisaki felt his body tremble as she wiped gently at the juncture between his neck and shoulder, then behind his ears, though it did little to help. His whole body felt like it was on fire.

 _"But there is a reason...she isn't contaminated."_

The meager light from the window hit the back of Kiyoko's head, making the outline of her hair shine, though her face was still mainly in shadow; Chisaki wished she would move. He wanted to see her, see more clearly this woman whose touch failed to make his skin crawl.

And yet, the people Kiyoko worked with treated her as though she were below them somehow. It was an unfunny joke. These filthy, ill disease ridden people would look down their noses at Kiyoko for her perceived abnormality when it was they who were infected. They only saw a defect, but it was she who was clean and pure and endured it all with a quiet integrity as she went about her duties each day, working tirelessly for reasons that Chisaki could not understand. It was so remote an idea that someone could be willful when the world had given them the short end of the stick so early on.

Maybe in an odd way, regardless of all they could never agree on, all they could never hope to understand about each other, they weren't so different.

He had persevered for his own goals despite all challenges, what even his boss had to say, Chisaki had done what he felt was the way to maintain their honor and his pride. The only place he had ever belonged.

Kiyoko held her head up each day, no matter what subtle insults and not so subtle criticisms were flung to her very face, no matter how many times she was hassled and patronized and even ridiculed for her own personal code of conduct and ethics. It was all Kiyoko could do; it was her own will and strength that seemed to pull her through, even when everyone was telling her she shouldn't even bother.

In hopelessness, Kiyoko had thrived and she had done it without needing the sickness that plagued so many in their world.

Chisaki couldn't help wonder for the first time what was left for him after failure. Powerless and confined to this bed, his ideals and goals in the toilet, what more did life have to offer someone in his position?

And then the answer came, swathed in moonlight with cool, clean, gentle hands.

"Is this propped up enough for you Chisaki-san?" Kiyoko asked as she raised the head end of the bed and set it in place; he nodded and she went to get his meal tray from the small dresser, along with a steaming cup of plain black tea.

"I hope you don't mind, I put some honey in the tea. It should help any lingering soreness in your throat." Kiyoko set the cup down next to the plate and her own cup of tea; a little fold out tray was placed over his lap to hold everything and a large disposable bib fastened over his shoulders and neck to keep off crumbs and stains. She supposed she didn't have need to take precautions as his fever had broken some time ago, yet with the overall conditions and lack of treatment, she would not be surprised if it befell him once again.

Chisaki watched her hands slice the stone cold omelet into bite sized pieces, her fingers rip open the packet of ketchup, her eyes as they stayed trained to the task at hand.

"You're so disciplined Minami-san."

"Oh, thank you." Kiyoko's eyes flew up to meet his momentarily.

Chisaki simply nodded as he surveyed her expression; it was only mildly taken aback at the sudden compliment. It seemed whenever he paid her compliments, Kiyoko would deflect them in some way or accept them with neither pleasure or apathy. Nothing seemed to be able to crack her professionally polite demeanor. The only time she came even close to opening up was the fogged over night, and Chisaki could not even recall her expressions, if she had any that differed from her soothing, almost serene mask.

"Is black tea all that's served here?"

"No, we have other drinks Chisaki-san." Kiyoko said. "Nurse Hana told me you only liked plain black."

"I didn't. I suspect she said that so she wouldn't have to bother with doing her job and taking requests."

"Oh, I see." Kiyoko held back a frown. "Well, I'll get you something else from the cafeteria for dinner."

"If you're concerned with me feeling pain, perhaps something stronger like sake."

Even her smiles and laughter were subdued, often followed by a hand covering her mouth, as if it was some crime to enjoy herself at all.

"I'm afraid we don't carry alcoholic drinks Chisaki-san." Kiyoko replied, fingers still blocking the soft curve of her lips before picking up the chopsticks and offering him a bite. Chisaki stared straight at her face while Kiyoko kept her eyes on the food to make sure nothing spilled.

"Minami-san, have I told you yet about the cup-exchange ritual?"

Chisaki was no villain despite being forced to reside in the same hospital as them; part of the reason he liked to educate Kiyoko on the ways of the yakuza was to make a point that he was not cut from the same cloth as the scum she was surrounded with on a daily basis. He was a man of standards, of a proud and notable line; not some two bit thug or psycho. She listened attentively as she checked his vitals or his dosage, even as she cleaned him and changed the bedpan. It did not embarrass him in the slightest to have her do such a thing; Kiyoko always made it known just what she would be doing and whether he was uncomfortable or wanted more privacy. She gave him the due respect, yet even so, Chisaki was a bit agitated.

He wanted her eyes to be downcast, to watch the lashes on her eyelids flutter nervously to her cheeks as she stripped him of the hospital gown to bathe him; he wanted her hands to falter when they reached certain areas of his body, for her gaze to linger, her breath to quicken.

But Kiyoko would do no such thing, and he expected as much; she was a trained nurse after all, and no doubt she must have to help other patients, either confined or perhaps unable to as he was, with the same tasks. A woman as professional as her, especially one who was accustomed to remaining a dignified air in potentially uncomfortable situations, would not allow herself to show hesitance. For Kiyoko, it was routine.

"The superior will pour the one about to be initiated an amount of sake and then a larger portion for himself." Chisaki explained between bites; Kiyoko was always careful to make sure she didn't offer him another bite until he nodded to the plate. "Once they do this, they drink from each other's cups. This signifies the initiate is now an official member of the syndicate; once the ceremony is done, there would be a banquet and some would take trips to a bathhouse. Of course….this was a bit problematic once the hero system came into play."

Kiyoko didn't miss the bitterness in his tone at the word 'hero'. "Why Chisaki-san?"

"It's since fallen out of practice, but in the old days it was common for yakuza to get full body tattoos. These kind were once used to mark criminals; for a yakuza, it means they have chosen to stigmatize themselves, to show they have entered a syndicate."

"It sounds like it would take a long time to do it."

Chisaki nodded. "It is, and a painful process at that, a way for those wanting to show off their toughness and dedication; after all, once they did this, they were marked and there was no going back. Those who were initiated understood that they would be cutting off all ties to their previous lives, to outsiders."

"I think I understand. But then with the rise of heroes, I suppose having these full body tattoos became something of a tip off."

"Exactly." Kiyoko tipped the cup gently to Chisaki's lips after making sure it was cooled down and setting it back down quietly so as not to disrupt his story. "Presently, you'll be hard pressed to find any yakuza with any sort of tattoos. The cup exchange is still a time honored tradition, even if it's done in secret."

Kiyoko fed him the last piece of omelet; once she was sure his plate was clean, she picked up her cup of tea. "I have to say Chisaki-san, I've never heard of such a thing...but something about it does ring a bell." she sipped her tea, trying to recall why it was vaguely familiar, but nothing came to mind. She was certain she had never heard it from school or from anything online.

"I suppose it is similar to the Shinto wedding tradition of the groom and bride drinking sake from the same cups." Chisaki supplied.

"Oh, that must be it." Kiyoko mused; she finished her tea and smiled lightly. "But those rituals are two very different things of course."

"I don't blame you for seeing any similarities. They both include a sake drinking ritual, a banquet after the official ceremony has finished; they even both include people becoming bonded for life, albeit under different circumstances."

Kiyoko nodded as she put the two cups on top of the plate and tossed the disposable chopsticks into the small trash bin by the door. As she picked up the tray and made to place it on the cart, she frowned. Both rims were stained with the imprint of pink, almost transparent chapstick. Chisaki's eyes followed her line of vision, but he looked distinctly unperturbed despite her troubled expression.

"Is there something the matter?"

"My apologies Chisaki-san, I was so tired and distracted, I completely forgot which tea was mine. I know you feel uncomfortable when others touch your cups or plates, I'll-"

"I don't care. Do you mind helping me change after you put away the dishes? The person working your shift the other day didn't bother to bathe me."

"Oh yes, of course." Kiyoko rolled the cart to the entrance quickly. "I'll be back with a clean pair of clothes shortly. I'm sorry again, I'm not normally so careless."

"Think nothing of it. Was it not an accident we exchanged cups?"

Kiyoko opened her mouth to speak but hesitated when she caught Chisaki's stare. He seemed to be mocking her, yet his face was impassive and his tone careless. She decided she must have simply been more tired than she realized and gave him an apologetic smile.

"Yes, of course. I'll be right back."

He watched with eyes like a hawk's as Kiyoko closed the door behind her, knowing with satisfaction the last thing she would do was think nothing of the incident.


	3. Chapter 3

"I'm sorry Chisaki-san."

Chisaki flinched out of habit as Kiyoko rubbed a tiny smudge of ointment onto his cheek; there was a light bruise where Hana had retaliated against his feeble attack, but it was glaringly visible against his pale skin.

"No need for apologies. You're only doing your job after all." Chisaki told her in an almost bored sort of drawl; it was all he could do to keep his tone level as she applied the medicine. Her fingers were bare, not stopping to cover her hand in a latex glove in her haste, only just seeing that morning how Chisaki had tried to repay the older woman for her slight. Apparently, Hana had no seen it worth her trouble to even attempt to cover up the evidence of her blow.

Kiyoko had been tardy to her shift that morning, though truthfully her supervisor had begun making Chisaki solely her responsibility as of late; it had simply been easier for the whole staff, who the yakuza had been uncooperative with since the very beginning. His stay at the hospital would go smoothly as long as Kiyoko was the one to see to him for the rest of the time.

Taking the arrangements for granted, Hana begrudgingly left her break to bring Chisaki his breakfast; as she lifted a fork to feed him burnt eggs, he had distinctly heard her mutter something about an undisciplined, Quirkless fool and had promptly moved to snap his teeth around her fingers.

 _"How revolting. I shouldn't have even tried; I bet her hand alone was crawling with germs of all kinds."_

"I will try to find a way to discuss Nurse Hana's behavior with the staff; this is just unacceptable." Kiyoko's normally serene expression was marred by a shadow of a scowl; she lowered her eyes to screw the cap back on the lid of the ointment and Chisaki felt his own expression dampen at the loss of her touch.

 _"Ah...she works too fast."_

Did he hate being touched? With every fiber of his being. Was part of Chisaki unwillingly conditioned to retreat from Kiyoko's hand? Unfortunately, yes, but as time went by, he found his body's natural reactions to her becoming more and more muted.

Today was different; to have the cool tips of her fingers glide and soothe his skin was too reminiscent of a lover's caress for his liking. Chisaki cursed her weakly in his mind, cursed his own brain for allowing him to pretend for a fleeting moment her fussing might have meant something other than the concern of a professional.

"There's no reason at all for you to apologize for that hag. You have nothing to feel sorry for." Chisaki said more firmly, though from her expression it seemed his words weren't doing much to get through to her.

"I should have spoken up that day it happened." Kiyoko insisted, her tone short and clipped, but obviously directed not at him. "It was my mistake."

"Even if you did tell anyone, I doubt they would listen. Honestly Minami-san, if the people you work with are anything like that woman, you'd just be wasting your breath with talk about policy and ethics they care nothing for."

These were meant to be words of comfort, yet they seemed to do nothing to lessen Kiyoko's frown, which in turn made Chisaki feel a pang of frustration. He didn't see why it was troubling her; it was pretty much a given the staff could care less about one of their respected nurses lashing out on a criminal in their ward. Besides, why have Kiyoko waste her time and effort on making fools see reason when she could be using that time to spend in his company?

"You really don't bother mincing words at all Chisaki-san...but I can't just keep silent." Kiyoko sighed and tucked a loose piece of hair behind her ear as she put away the ointment in the medicine cabinet. "I should at least try to speak with my colleagues on the matter, for legal and ethical reasons."

"What an odd term to use."

"What do you mean?"

"To say they're your colleagues would imply they're somehow equal to you. I find it odd, because the reality is they're just so inferior in comparison. It was insulting the way that crone spoke to you; I didn't mean to cause you concern or to make your job any more difficult than it is. You see Minami-san, my intention was to repay her insult to you in blood."

The room was small; one bed, a dresser, a medicine cabinet, and the bathroom; all in all, it was very cramped with more than two or three people inside. There wasn't much reason for more space; after all, most of the patients who were confined indefinitely were supposed to be kept in one place. The one window itself was too small for a person to fit their body through, though the staff did not worry. Chisaki was not as much of a physical threat as he might have been with his arms intact; even standing took some level of effort, as his balance was thrown off. A tiny room like the one he stayed in was just fine for all intents and purposes.

Kiyoko could feel the already cramped space seem to shrink, the walls closing in on her the longer eye contact was maintained with the man laying on the bed in front of her, eyes soft and glowing as he regarded her. It was like being stared at under a microscopic lense.

"Chisaki-san, please don't...you can't do that. I don't want you to do that."

Chisaki's faintly pleased expression faltered as if in disappointment. "Will it set your mind at ease if I held back on them?"

"Yes."

"Alright. But I'm not sure I can keep my word if one of those sickly idiots come too close."

"I've tried to speak with them about your...concerns."

Chisaki nodded. "Minami-san, make sure you don't let them come too close. They might spread the virus to you too. It would be a shame, especially when you've been so mindful for my sake."

Despite her unease, Kiyoko tried to offer a smile. "Chisaki-san, let me assist you; the garden is open for patients now."

 _"Chisaki-san this, Chisaki-san that."_

So proper, so dutifully polite. That being said, Chisaki couldn't pretend it didn't please him every time Kiyoko addressed him directly.

 _"But wait….didn't I throw that name away?"_

It was so recent that the very utterance of Chisaki's birth name was enough to make his hackles rise and his temper flare. Now he couldn't imagine a day going by without his name passing her lips.

"I'm going to help you rise now Chisaki-san."

Each movement, each action was always announced beforehand so he wouldn't be caught off guard or made uncomfortable; if only the routine could be switched up a little bit.

Kiyoko brought one of her hands up to lightly grip his shoulder as she managed to aid him in standing upright; it was a precaution, even if the distance was relatively short. He never felt the need to stop her.

 _"She barely comes up to my chest...I'm surprised she can even manage to lift me upward at all."_

Kiyoko was somewhat slight in frame; even with a relatively mature looking face with her reflective eyes, her demure, careful demeanor made it easy to mistake her for someone far younger than someone qualified to work in the field of medicine. As Chisaki walked by Kiyoko's side, it hit him that if he were still whole, he could easily throw her over his shoulder if the whim struck him. As strong as she was, in other ways Kiyoko was vulnerable, maybe even more so, and Chisaki was reminded once more of the inconvenience of his condition.

"I'm going to be right next to you Chisaki-san. I might reach out for you if I think you look unbalanced."

"There's hardly any need to tell me every little thing. I have walked in the past, arms or not."

"It's policy."

Kiyoko's voice was nothing but kind as she opened the door for him. Chisaki repressed a shiver as she placed a hand on his back to aid his balance while he stepped down the stairs; the garden did not have that much plant life. It was more of an overgrown lawn with a path that wound into a misshapen circle across the grounds; a few old wooden benches were placed on the wayside of the track, along with a few meager bushes and a pond of mainly mud and muck. Spread out around that grassy area security fences stood erect and guards outside the border served as watchdogs. Most patients allowed to go outside were typically accompanied by staff of course, and all patients were low flight risk or incapable of causing harm.

"Chisaki-san, may I ask you something? I was just wondering...well, this may be a bit…" Kiyoko trailed off and tucked a piece of her hair back behind her ear.

"Feel free to ask me anything. I have more than enough time to spare to answer any questions you might have."

Kiyoko seemed to hold in a weak grimace. "I don't quite understand something you see. When you tell me that...that the rest of the staff are infected, just what do you mean by it? I can't help presume you don't mean a conventional illness."

Chisaki watched her from the corner of his eye. "Minami-san, did you know it's been theorized that Quirks originated from a virus?"

Kiyoko shook her head and looked up at him with a pondering stare. "I've never heard that. I don't know too much about the history of the evolution of Quirks in general; it never pertained to me, so I suppose I didn't see much point in looking into the subject." she gave him a self deprecating smile and he felt irritated at her ignorance at her own worth.

"If you did, you would know that people like you aren't one of the many individuals in our current world that haven't been infected. Quirks have manifested more than just powers; they've disrupted the way society used to be for the worse."

Kiyoko's face remained almost blank; she knew better than to portray emotion on her face when passions became impassioned or upset. Still, there was something downright unnerving about the way Chisaki spoke of Quirks and how blessed she was to remain unaffected by the 'contamination'.

"Minami-san, I believe it's my turn to ask you something."

"If you would like to."

"Would you mind removing my mask?"

Kiyoko's eyes immediately landed on his covered face; every day when she saw to him, she made sure to bring a fresh surgical mask. The rest of the staff considered it a waste, but Kiyoko didn't see the harm if it made Chisaki more willing to comply with the treatments and her requests.

"Are you sure?"

"I wouldn't ask if I wasn't. Could you?"

Kiyoko slowly brought her hands up to gently pull the elastic strings from around his ears; there was a small outdoor trash disposal by the only bench that she could deposit the used material into. It never ceased to surprise Kiyoko how normal Chisaki looked, almost unremarkably so; his most distinct features though had to be his eyes. Somehow they seemed to express so much and so little of his thoughts. Kiyoko could never say for certain just how he was feeling, or what he was contemplating behind his glances and furrowed brows.

"Are you sure you're okay with it Chisaki-san?"

"Yes."

Kiyoko nodded as she tossed away the mask with his approval. "The air out here is a lot nicer than inside the building. The weather's been so dreary, but I love the smell that comes after it rains; it's so fresh and clean." she smiled behind her hand. "Well, it's more pleasing than that antiseptic smell that's everywhere. Chisaki-san, how long would you like to stay?"

"Not too long. I don't like the smell of dampness and mud."

"Oh."

"Minami-san, from now on I would prefer if you gave me a mask before you left the hospital; my lungs burn breathing in the same air as trash. Otherwise, I'd like to leave my face uncovered."

Kiyoko could only nod and try to smile politely; she was at a complete loss half the time in their conversations.

"Thank you."

He smiled down at her for the first time, but there was no real emotion behind it, at least from what Kiyoko could see. What she didn't know was that her perception couldn't be farther from the truth.

Chisaki had learned the ways of a made man before he even learned how to drive; his boss had groomed him carefully the day he was taken in, had not attempted to hide exactly what sort of environment Chisaki was expected to immerse himself in. Every interaction was a fine line of keeping up appearances; be cordial, but not close, be honest, but play your cards carefully. You bestowed your loyalty and obedience to the syndicate and your boss without question, yet you learned to trust no one and nothing. The possibility of an early death was dismissed as inevitable, embraced as an indisputable possibility at anytime; yakuza were typically bumped off by those closest to them, those who could get so close and finish them off without much difficulty. It didn't matter who they were; the rules were everything, it was all to preserve their way of life, their sense of honor and the code of the yakuza.

Chisaki had taken most of it to heart despite disregarding many of the more traditional code and fineprint; ceasing to allow his truest emotions to the surface was the easiest part to master in fact. It was all a carefully crafted game of shogi, but with very real, very dangerous consequences to pay should one allow themselves to become too attached to anyone or anything. It was just plain risky to have friends, let alone anything more.

But how he wanted to smile for her.

"Do you enjoy the rain Minami-san?"

"Oh not exactly, but I do like the after smell. The sun is coming out from the clouds….I wonder if we might see a rainbow." Kiyoko's arm steered him down the path and he followed wordlessly as her eyes searched the sky.

Chisaki knew Kiyoko was nervous around him, even with her own pleasantly collected mask; he tried to coax her, tried to make it so her shoulders weren't so tense. He wanted to slap her hand away from her mouth with each time it went up to cover her brief grin or subdued hushed laughter. Chisaki wanted to breathe the very air from her lungs so he could chase away the filth his own had undoubtedly accumulated when she had to leave; he could become intoxicated with her essence instead.

It was just so easy to imagine that the tiny hand softly gripping his shoulder would come up to cup his cheek as he bent down to press his nose to the crook of her neck, inhaling the scent that wafted lightly from her skin as she trembled and asked him what he was doing-

"Chi-Chisaki-san…?"

Kiyoko's eyes were so big, but Chisaki soon realized it was not due to their size, but because he was stooping low, his face drawn close to the top of her head. He blinked as she took a edged back just so.

"Ah, excuse me. I could have sworn I saw something in your hair." Chisaki lied easily. "I was about to pull it out, but then I remembered…"

"Oh, is it a bug?" Kiyoko looked mildly worried as she reached up to the top of her head. "Is it still there? I don't feel anything."

"It's gone now, the breeze must have blown it away." Chisaki replied. "By the way, can I request one more thing of you before we leave? It's important."

"Of course."

"I don't want you bringing up the incident with that withered crone to any of the staff. If you do, they won't care and they might even accuse you of being too soft with me. In that case, they may even take you off the task of aiding me and then I'll be left at the mercy of one of your 'colleagues', who won't take issue with any harm that may happen to me."

Kiyoko's expression was torn; she could not deny he made a valid point, but there was still the fact it felt wrong to keep quiet.

"Chisaki-san, I really should at least try-"

"You're the only person I can reply on to treat me impartially and to see my condition doesn't get worse."

"But…"

"Please."

Kiyoko bit her bottom lip and sucked in a faint breath.

"Alright. It would seem there's not a lot I can do otherwise. I am sorry...if I was a stronger person...if I was different, maybe they would actually take my concerns seriously."

"You shouldn't dwell on those worthless...excuse me. I know talking like that upsets you." Chisaki lowered his gaze to the ground in a show of being abashed. "But the fact remains, you're worth ten of anyone here. I can't express enough gratitude for the consideration and patience you've shown me."

Kiyoko gave him a genuine, if not weak smile. "Of course, don't mention it. I'm only doing what should be done, even if I can only do so much."

"Perhaps, but I won't forget this Minami-san. If possible...I would like to repay you someday."


	4. Chapter 4

"In two weeks he'll be moved to somewhere with higher security, but before then I just need you to handle this guy. He likes you, right? Well just keep him healthy enough until he's not our problem anymore and you'll be able to get back to your regular schedule."

"Are you certain Doctor? I have no issue with it personally, but that doesn't sound very fair to my other patients on my route. Will staff have time to rotate with their treatments?" Kiyoko made sure to inquire in a way that didn't suggest she was talking back or questioning the doctor's orders.

"The administrator has heard reports of the patient's conduct with the rest of the staff." he explained without barely a glance up from his paperwork. "This arrangement is only temporary and he feels there's no point in causing any upsets with other staff like Nurse Hana when that man won't be here much longer; there are other people who can easily see to your regular tasks until then Minami-chan."

"Of course sir."

"Then run along and bring the man his food won't you? I'm sure the poor bastard is hungry, no one else will come near him to so much as hand over a piece of toast. Not that they could exactly hand it to him in the first place, but," he smiled at his own joke; Kiyoko simply nodded and waited for more instruction. "Anyway, just go on and make sure he doesn't cause anymore problems for us."

"Sir with all due respect, Nurse Hana's conduct has violated-"

"Minami-chan, give it a rest won't you? Honestly, I don't see where you get these ideas in your head; the woman was defending herself, wasn't she? As far as I'm concerned, she violated no such code, but was protecting herself from a dangerous gangster."

"Sir, Chisaki-san couldn't reach Nurse Hana, much less-"

"In case you haven't noticed, I have a full schedule with real problems that need addressing. I'm sure even you can understand why I can't find the time to humor you today, so if you'll forgive me, I must be running off."

Kiyoko wasn't even given a moment to respond before the doctor turned his back to her and began briskly walking toward the elevator.

"Of course…"

The tray in her hands felt so heavy and Kiyoko shifted her weight from one foot to the other as she leaned against the wall. It was painfully obvious that no one wanted to hear a word out of her about the previous incident or really hear anything she had to say.

 _"If I didn't know any better, I'm certain they forget I put just as many hours and work into this career as anyone else...they can't even be bothered to address me as a professional."_

Kiyoko sighed and shook her head clear; the food was going to get cold at this point. As she braced her nerves and walked the short distance to Chisaki's room, she could help noticed how abandoned the floor seemed to be. It made sense the area they kept people who were immobile or similarly afflicted was quiet, but she also knew part of it was due to the fact staff rarely saw it worth the energy to look after these patients.

"Minami-san, good morning."

It struck Kiyoko as incredibly strange and somewhat sad that the only person who addressed her with any sort of respect was a cold hearted, if not oddly soft spoken and neat, yakuza.

"Good morning Chisaki-san. Did you sleep well?" Kiyoko asked as she set down the still steaming bowl of rice and dried fish; it wouldn't do to allow him to see that she wasn't feeling her best. _"If I can't do this much, then what am I even doing here? If I start cracking up, I'll never get anyone's respect. All I have to do is focus and do my job. I can't lose my nerve."_

"I'm feeling impressed at the moment Minami-san."

Kiyoko secured the curtains open and picked the tray back up to take over to him. "Impressed about what?"

"If it weren't for the fact I could hear that pig speaking so loudly, I wouldn't have guessed you were being put under any stress." Chisaki observed without a trace of shame or apology for overhearing.

Kiyoko felt her resolve crack slightly under his withering gaze. "I...I apologize, really, that wasn't meant for you to hear at all…I didn't even think you were awake, let alone that you could have heard-"

"Don't misunderstand me. I'm not offended. In fact, I have no complaints at all about the administration's decision. The only reason I even bring this matter up is because unlike you, I can't seem to reign in my anger."

"I know it must seem sudden; your injury is nearly healed and we can't keep you here past that time." Kiyoko settled down with the breakfast tray balanced on the small table next to her, taking the bowl of rice and making sure to mix in bits of the fish and a dash of rice seasoning along with the plain dish to give it some flavor. "I will do what I can to ensure you're in good shape though, I promise I won't just allow you to be passed off, though the facility you're going to might have even better medical care on hand-"

"You don't understand a thing."

Kiyoko smiled vaguely and made sure to wrap a disposable bib around Chisaki's neck and shoulders to keep crumbs off his person.

"Won't you tell me something I don't know, Chisaki-san?"

"Shut up!"

Kiyoko nearly dropped the bowl on the floor just as she was holding it up; Chiskai's glare was downright murderous and she felt her own face contort into an expression of fear and her whole body go rigid despite herself.

"You don't understand at all...how can you allow it? Don't you have pride? Don't you see how sickening it is to listen to that fat pig bad mouth you as if you were some common worm?"

Kiyoko felt her fear subside a little; it would seem Chisaki wasn't angry at her, at least not solely at her.

"The doctor is my superior, and I was speaking out of turn in the first place."

"Stop making excuses."

"Chisaki-san, you should start eating, you'll need something in your stomach before I give you your pain medication."

Chisaki's lip curled. "There's no point in holding yourself the way you do if it's all an act. You need to stop letting people walk all over you for the sake of professionalism and mediation. How will things ever change if you allow them to remain stagnate?"

Kiyoko lowered the chopsticks back down into the food; after a moment, she placed the bowl back on the tray, her expression calm as ever.

"Chisaki-san, perhaps you would prefer to have someone else oversee the last stages of your treatment. I feel you've gotten the wrong impression of me."

"Don't be a fool."

"Chisaki-san...you realize in this world, people like me are something of the butt of a bad joke? You're much more world wise if nothing else, so I don't doubt you are aware. For someone like me, running my mouth would only result in unnecessary trouble and scrutiny; unfortunately, when people learn I'm Quirkless, they can't seem to focus on who I am as a person. My condition is all that comes to the forefront."

"You don't have a condition. They're the ones-"

"Say what you will, but no one else who matters sees it that way." Kiyoko cut him off lightly, yet with an almost kind edge to her statement, as though acknowledging his opinion favorably. "As far as this hospital is concerned, I can easily be replaced. I could be transferred anytime they see fit, or even fired if they don't like my work or my attitude or really anything else about me. Of course it really isn't that cut and dry, but it's not that far from it either. There's only so much I can do."

"What do you do? Besides apologizing incessantly and letting filth step over you?" Chisaki's tone was cutting but Kiyoko's placid, gentle smile never wavered. He didn't know whether he wanted to hurt someone or kiss her.

 _"Kiss?"_

An odd pinch made his frown falter; the act in question involved something extremely vulgar in the sense that it required two people basically swapping spit and germs and bacteria of who knew what type. It was the last thing Chisaki ever imagined doing; he'd rather have his tongue yanked out and chopped off, among other things.

As of late it would seem Kiyoko was an exception to many of his rules, but that factor suddenly came crashing down on his conscience so hard, Chisaki found himself at a bit of a loss when he recovered his senses.

 _"I want to...kiss her..."_

Kiyoko replied to him smoothly, somehow oblivious to the expression that momentarily crossed Chisaki's scowl to morph into a look of blank confusion. Perhaps she assumed he was genuinely wondering why she allowed this treatment of her to go on among her coworkers and superiors.

"Chisaki-san, do you remember that night we spoke? How I said how silly it is for people to hold onto certain things for no real reason? But the thing is, one man's reasoning might not seem like much to another, yet will mean everything to another person. To be honest, I've never been one for confrontation, but...I do have a reason to speak my mind, at least now and then."

"You have no reason to linger here. Why don't you tell them off? You know the way they speak to you is wrong, so why do you take it?"

"For a number of reasons; firstly, it wouldn't look favorable to hear that I was fired due to mouthing off, no matter how justified. It won't matter to the next place I may have to find work at. Secondly, I'm stubborn in the sense I don't want to give in and let them see they're getting to me. If nothing else, I take pride in my ability to continue serving my patients and performing my work efficiently, whether it's recognized or not."

Chisaki scoffed. "I hardly see why you bother. If that's true, send in a resignation letter and use your skills elsewhere. It's not as if this is the only hospital that would hire you. You could do it. You don't have to deal with any of this, there's another way. Minami-san, you have to hold your head up higher, you have to understand-"

"But Chisaki-san, I can't leave while there's still people here who need someone willing to actually do their part; not while so many of the staff members are willing to turn a blind eye due to cutting corners or outright neglecting to serve villains who are under their authority. I don't care what anyone says. It's wrong and I won't have it. I won't allow it. Who would I be if I let such a thing happen without so much as a word?"

A bomb could have dropped and Chisaki wouldn't have been any the wiser; he couldn't quite fight the frustration and his impatience at her previous conduct with the doctor, and he could barely find it in himself to wrap his mind around her flawed reasoning to continue to put up with his or anyone else's grief. It was infuriatingly familiar to have Kiyoko shut down his perfectly sound options and advice when all he wanted was for her to get the respect she was due. It was all he could do not to drag himself out of the bed and find a way to bring that old doctor to his knees, finding a way to drive his scalpel right into his big mouth until he was the one who needed immediate hospitalization.

 _"How dare he talk to Minami-san like she was on his level? No it was worse; he shouldn't even be permitted to come within a foot of her, let alone speak to her like she wasn't the only person of competence in this damn place. And how can she let him? Why? Doesn't she realize how wrong it all is, how insulting? Why doesn't Minami-san see that-"_

"I just can't do it. I can't leave while you're still here Chisaki-san." Kiyoko told him resolutely as she picked the bowl right back up and held out a piece of fish. "But what am I doing, slacking off when I still need to give you your medicine? Here, please eat this before it gets stone cold.'

To her relief, Chisaki seemed to let the matter drop; his expression had turned back to one of a dull stare as he allowed her to feed him bite after bite of the nearly tasteless dish. Kiyoko smiled gratefully and began to speak to him of another subject to keep the placid atmosphere.

"Would you like to take another walk in the garden later Chisaki-san? The patch of dandelions is growing so tall despite them being weeds, and they're so cheerful looking."

"If you say so."

"And the grounds are dry, so we don't have to be conscious of side stepping mud puddles and making a mess." Kiyoko told him as she held out a piece of an eggroll to his waiting lips; her other hand was cupped underneath as an extra block for falling crumbs. "I think some fresh air will do you a lot of good, but first we need to-"

 _"Of all the times to be so difficult to read correctly. I'm getting tired of pretenses, but the timing isn't right, not yet. I need to be patient for her sake if nothing else, but I really only have so much time. What can I do? What could I do in this state?"_

Chisaki chewed the roll slowly, eyes glued to the curve of her lip and how it made a dimple jump out on her right cheek. If only she could see the gears churning in his brain.

 _"Why can't you see it Minami-san? Are you so upright you refuse to even acknowledge something out of the realm of your field of focus?"_

"Chisaki-san, I don't know if I can quite understand you...the way you think is so alien to me and I realize there's many things we could never see eye to eye on."

 _"Damn it. You admit it, but you still feel the need to treat me the way you do? If anyone doesn't make sense, it's you Minami-san..."_

Still, he kept his mouth shut, chewing slowly to let her continue. Kiyoko sighed and shook her head with a shadow of a smile.

"You confuse me, but even so,"

 _"Everything, every voice inside my mind that was demanding I give up is now calling for you. And I can't stop. It's too late. I won't deny myself."_

"Thank you...for trying to defend my honor."

Chisaki only nodded as if her thanks was hardly necessary and opened his mouth slightly for another bite. There were a dozen things he could have said, but none of them seemed right and he didn't trust himself to not let them slip while she continued to smile so peacefully, as though his concern meant so much to be able to soother her worries.

 _"You silly woman...how could I do anything else?"_


	5. Chapter 5

Chisaki had joined the Shie Hassaikai with nothing but the clothes on his back and his name; it might have been this that made it so easy for him to assimilate into the role of a yakuza until it was not a role at all, despite the friction that continued to steadily grow between him and the other members.

The boss had tried though to make a made man out of him, tried tirelessly to instill the old values, the code of honor, and the fact that Chisaki couldn't just go off on his own as he saw fit. The whole point of being part of the family was the idea that you had back up and blood ties; who would want to follow in the footsteps of a man who treated humans as little more than tools? Even if the bonds of trust and friendship were fragile in the face of the rules of the yakuza lifestyle, even if murder and lies were common among blood brothers, it would do no good to have not even a trace of solidarity.

In that far off time, Chisaki had withstood many scoldings at his actions, along with sneers and cold shoulders from other members who believed the boss was letting him off too easily. The relationship between their leader and the lesser members was in fact supposed to be symbolic with the bond of a father and son, a mentor and a student, but Chisaki was overstepping himself near constantly as time wore on.

The other yakuza rarely saw it fit that they should be the ones to confront him or knock some sense into his head, although some of the most bold and loyal of members would trade blows with him; one enforcer had nearly knocked his teeth out before Kurono had stepped in. Still, most left him alone for the boss to handle. Chisaki supposed it was partially because they knew they would die in an instant should they so much as touch him with the tip of their finger, and due to the fact the boss had the last say, as it was ultimately him who had taken on the responsibility of Chisaki's education.

Some days, the boss would insist that Chisaki accompany him to these occasional meetings with the older members of the Shie Hassaikai; these times were set aside not only to talk about new ventures or current affairs, but to also speak fondly of the old days, the days before All Might, when the yakuza still had half a shot at thriving. Chisaki would rarely speak at all during the get togethers, preferring to sit at the boss' right side and quietly sip his tea; the old timers would be the ones doing all the talking as he listened, which was technically the whole point. The boss wanted Chisaki to learn a thing or two about the yakuza way, had wanted him to take this time to reflect and contemplate what it meant to be a member of the Shie Hassaikai.

Chisaki had of course wanted nothing more to walk right out of the crowded lounge rather than listen to the glory days and the wistful sighing of a bunch of hasbeens, but his boss had left no room for arguments concerning his attendance. He did at least try to pay attention, mostly when his boss was the one doing the speaking; even if it wasn't apparent, his loyalty was unwavering.

And so, Chisaki tried to keep a straight face behind the masks he wore and listen to the stories of old scores and gossip of who was doing what, who they were doing it to, and how much money or notoriety had come from it. There were many tales of bloodshed and fights, and chuckling about mellowing out in their old age, and fantasizing about the day they would have to turn over the business to fresher blood. When this day came, they would be able to retire and sit back to watch the new generation take the reigns as they sipped hot tea with a good woman to tend to them during their numbered days.

"But this isn't so much a retirement as a involuntary termination of my career. Perhaps an early retirement opportunity for the subtle listener."

Kiyoko smiled sympathetically as she ran a rag over his neck and shoulders, already having scrubbed behind his ears thoroughly per Chisaki's request.

"At any rate, the boss man made me attend those meetings until the day he couldn't go himself." Chisaki leaned back his head for Kiyoko to rub in a small amount of shampoo into his hair; she hardly ever had to ask him to tilt his head or move a certain way. By now it was as if he had memorized the pattern she bathed him in. "Minami-san, I know there's only so much you're allowed to tell me...but would you know how long he has to live? Do you even know where he is, or if he's currently alive?"

"I'm sorry Chisaki-san, I couldn't say. I did hear he was in critical condition, but I don't know where he's being held or how much longer he can even hold out."

"I see."

Kiyoko couldn't help feel a pang of sorrow for her patient; from what Chisaki had spoken of, the head of the Shie Hassaikai had been the one to provide him with a home and a purpose. No matter what kind of man he was, it was clear that he had at least cared for this person.

 _"He won't even be able to say goodbye."_

"I never was able to truly thank him. I suspect he won't be able to forgive me for playing a role in the fall of the Shie Hassaikai." Chisaki was speaking so quietly Kiyoko could only make out half his words as she poured the hot water slowly over his scalp to rinse the suds from his cropped head. "Even if it was the heroes fault for interfering and it was that villain trash who stole my work, the boss and the others will surely place the blame on me for going forward with my plans. In their eyes, it was my actions that began to chain reaction and led to their fall. Yoshinori would probably die laughing if he saw me now." at her questioning glance, Chisaki said. "He's the one who tried to knock me out. But forget that. What do you think Minami-san? I'm curious to hear your take as an outsider."

"Chisaki-san, this isn't a subject I can speak freely on."

"I don't care. What's done is done; I just want to hear your thoughts."

If there was anyone Chisaki Kai did want to hear tell all their most intimate thoughts and perspectives, it was the woman in front of him; he was well aware the conversation was breaching topics that Kiyoko really shouldn't be talking about, ones she couldn't speak of with him for both legal and professional ethical standards. Not that Chisaki could care less; he'd never breathe a word of any failings in Kiyoko's interactions with him. In fact, if it were up to him, no one else would be able to so much as breathe around her so she could avoid inhaling their toxic fumes from the bullshit spewing out of their mouths.

Above all, he just wanted to hear her soothing voice, especially now when the subject he was turning around in his brain was making his head throb. Some things were too much to keep inside and perhaps if he showed a willingness to divulge information, Kiyoko would follow suit.

"It's really not my place to speak at all. If you want me to be perfectly candid, I rarely even watch the news or read the papers. Before you, I hardly knew a thing about yakuza."

Kiyoko wasn't just trying to be polite and objective; the long hours of her job left her so exhausted, the last thing she wanted to do was immerse her thoughts in the too often dreadful occurences of the rest of the world.

"Chisaki-san, you do remember what I said about confidentiality in the past, right? I'm only reminding you because you have the right to be aware that, depending on what details you divulge to me, if I ever am questioned by the authorities, it's illegal for me to keep certain information secret."

"I understand that completely. I also would hope if I was making you uncomfortable, you would come and tell me first."

"Nothing you've spoken with me about has made me uncomfortable."

Kiyoko decided it would be wiser to not point out his odd habit of referring to things as 'diseased' or his comments concerning her Quirkless state. It was clear Chisaki may not have exactly been that sound of mind, but seeing as how nothing he had said had posed a threat to her or even an insult, so Kiyoko didn't feel the need to bring it up. After all, doing so would most likely just incense him and cause unnecessary friction; by now she was pretty used to his comments, even if she didn't quite understand how he was perceiving the matter.

"I'm glad to hear it. I've quite enjoyed our conversations Minami-san; I can't recall a time where I've ever been able to talk to someone like this. I would...like to keep talking with you like this."

Chisaki offered another bland, cold shadow of a smile at her, and Kiyoko returned it with her own carefully crafted one. Not quite friendly or expressive in the least, but sympathetic and given with sincerity all the same. It was guarded yet free of any ill will. In that moment Chisaki knew that for all the emotions and thoughts Kiyoko had to keep to herself, she had never been false to him, had always tried to be as truthful as she was allowed to without having to present herself as downright cold.

If only they could have met sooner when he was in his prime, when his research and planning was coming to fruition. Perhaps she even could have aided his venture, or at the very least be at his side for company.

 _"I wonder though...what could one find out from her DNA? Is it possible that there's a difference in the blood of a Quirkless person and someone with one? If we had met before-"_

After a time, Eri had stopped screaming and crying in pain from the experiments and the effect of his Quirk; Chisaki couldn't be bothered to remember when, but by the end of his work, the child has ceased any form of struggle when the time came for her to be torn apart. He had barely attempted to instill any form of trust between them, not finding it too necessary until the day Eri had tried to run off, though it was evident there was little chance of achieving that after all he had subjected her to. He remembered that every time he so much as looked at Eri, she was terrified, already anticipating pain and despair. Her eyes would glisten with tears she could no longer shed and her body tense with the stress of waiting for what was unavoidable; Eri had trained herself well, and Chisaki was certain her greatest hope was either to be set free or for him to just disappear so her torment might be over.

But what if he did the same to Kiyoko?

"Chisaki-san?"

"Sorry. I think my legs fell asleep."

Chisaki's whole body had tensed up and jerked at the thoughts in his head and he immediately banished them with some disgust.

He had no delusions; if Chisaki had used Kiyoko for such a task, she would never look at him the same way. She would fear and revile him.

Kiyoko would hate him.

 _"I will never allow it."_

Chisaki doggedly shook off these thoughts and brought his mind back to the present. At any rate, Kiyoko was nothing like Eri; she was not a tool or of a cursed existence. Despite how others seemed to disapprove of her for one reason or the other, Chisaki knew the truth.

 _"You're invaluable. You're the only thing right in this sick, foul world and however it happened, you've been chosen to come to my side. Is it fate? After all that's happened, has some higher power decided to throw me a bone?"_

Then again, it was probably the miracle of a vengeful deity; if it weren't so, then Chisaki would have met Kiyoko when he still belonged to a world of possibilities and power at his fingertips and arms to embrace her. It would have been a time where he could enact justice on those who dared to so much as sneer her way.

Chisaki supposed in many ways he was still very much the same man he had always been, yet in other ways he could hardly recognize himself; he wasn't sure what to make of these changes, especially considering what brought them on in the first place and by whom.

 _"Look at me. My work was all ripped away in a single blow, everything worth something had been stolen from me, yet_ _she's managed to give bits and parts of myself back when I was at my lowest. I could almost laugh. Someone is piecing_ me _back together."_

"Does it hurt much when I have to wash here?" Kiyoko was tentatively rubbing the soapy warm rag against his closing amputation wound; there was a bit of bruising there. "We've been lowering your medication dosage, but I don't like the looks of this."

"It's fine, I barely feel it. Minami-san, how do you spend your free time?"

Kiyoko started; after a pause, she took her time twisting the excess water from the cloth into a bucket.

"Chisaki-san...that's a very personal question."

Chisaki scoffed. "Minami-san, after wiping my ass, I think we've already crossed a certain boundary."

The rag fell back into the tub with a splash, drops of water from the ensuing fumble hitting Chisaki directly in the face, but Kiyoko was too busy doubling over on her knees to notice. Her wet hand was closed tight over her lips, eyes were clenched shut.

"What?"

Kiyoko chanced looking up, shining eyes crinkled at the edges, and shoulders shaking. After a moment she let her palm fall from her lips so she could pick up the rag, but the smile was still etched on her face.

"I'm sorry Chisaki-san, but I-I really just didn't expect you to say that!"

"I didn't mean to be funny."

Kiyoko's warm chuckle escaped once more, unable to cover her mouth as she squeezed out the rag. "Yes, I figured as much. That being said, you did have a good point...what's wrong?"

He was staring at her openly as though he was seeing her for the first time.  
Truthfully, laughter had always been so irritating in the past; it was loud, abrupt, and hardly needed. What did people have to laugh about so obnoxiously anyway? It just showed how little self control others had when they tittered incessantly or brayed like donkey's over things that couldn't even pass for amusing. Certainly nothing Chisaki had ever said had made someone laugh; if it did, it was not intentional, and most around him knew better. People who truly irritated him were lucky to not get worse.

It was as if he had been petrified; his skin was already pink and warm to the touch from the steaming water, but the laughter tumbling from Kiyoko's lips had set his whole being ablaze.

Chisaki was both grateful and disappointed that Kiyoko felt the need to cover her smile, because if anyone else had seen it in that moment, he would have barely been able to withhold killing them on the spot.

"Minami-san, your smile is making me forget what I meant to say."

"Oh."

As it weren't enough, Kiyoko's own pallid cheeks grew as flushed as though she had patted her face with the steaming rag; Chisaki willed himself to look away with tightly gritted teeth before his arousal became too apparent.

"Just a thought. Anyway, what I said before still stands; I can't see the harm in making casual conversation about interests and the like. I assume changing bedpans isn't the only activity you take part in?"

Yes, there was that smile again, muted but just as distracting; Kiyoko sighed and began scrubbing his underarms.

"I guess there isn't any harm in it, but I don't do anything particularly interesting. I can cook, but it's not really a hobby. I read now and then...I enjoy poetry especially, though I've never written anything myself though. When I was younger I had enrolled in a martial arts class, but I ended up quitting because I just couldn't keep up. I've never been very athletic." Kiyoko added a tad more soap to the rag. "It's not something I like to admit, but sometimes it seems there's more things I can't do than things I can."

"Don't think about that. I want to hear about the things you can do, the things you like."

 _"What do you do when you leave here? Where do you go? Are you alone?"_

Chisaki rarely saw Kiyoko on night shift hours; he would try to just sleep away the time, knowing if he didn't he would only spend the entire time wondering about her.

 _"What means the most to you? Do you have dreams of your own or have you already accepted your lot in life?"_

Kiyoko had a whole life Chisaki knew absolutely nothing about; time was limited as it was, and it was only just now he had begun to touch upon the subject. It was hard enough knowing soon he would likely never see Kiyoko again in another week. A feeling that might have been dread pooled in his chest every time they spoke and each day it was more of a burden to watch her leave for the day, more of a trial to get through the nights without her cool touch and reflective glances.

"That would be easier to say, but I can't promise anything worth getting excited over." Kiyoko's hand dipped lower and lower to clean him; Chisaki knew it was policy, knew there was no way it would happen, but he despised that she wore gloves. It was already so sparingly he had chances to feel the skin of her mindful fingers.

A whole world he was completely separated from; it made him ache to think about it, yet he couldn't refrain from wondering.

 _"What makes you smile? Do you get sad often? Angry? Jealous? Embarrassed? Do you ever think of me and smile? Minami-san...do you even think of me at all?"_

He grew hard in her hand, but Kiyoko continued to speak and clean him as if she noticed nothing; of course she would assume it was something her patient couldn't help in the least, that it was only his body's natural reaction to physical contact and the warm water most likely. Kiyoko was simply doing her job; she had no way of knowing how close Chisaki was to just throwing all caution to the wind and rut into her hand like his life depended on it.

Unfortunately, reluctant, uglier thoughts would worm their way into his brain at these times, no matter how much he fought them off from ruining these moments.

 _"Do you touch anyone else like this? Has anyone else touched your skin and sullied it? Has a man ever-no. No, I don't even want to think of it. If I do, I'll lose my sanity."_

"I occasionally bring books of poetry with me to read on my breaks. If you'd like, I could show you some; I know there's not much to do to keep yourself occupied here." Kiyoko went on with a gentle smile at the thought; the tip of her tongue ran over her bottom lip for a split second, so fast that if Chisaki was not watching her every move, he would have missed it. "Every now and then I'll read a passage that...well, it speaks to me. It's as if someone took the words right out of my head and put them in a way that I could never begin to think of. They make it sound so lively, so beautiful. I envy that ability."

 _"You're beautiful."_

Pure and clean and soft and beautiful and downright ravishing. Her hand tugged on his member to raise it up for cleaning; the collar of her uniform hung when she leaned over the rim of the tub, just low enough to glimpse the swell of her breasts.

 _"Closer...come closer so I can see you, smell you, taste you, fuck-"_

A faint huff escaped Chisaki's parted lips as he bucked up once involuntarily; Kiyoko let him go with a gasp of her own as she stumbled back and stared at the now dirtied water. A wave of what could only be described as alarm shook Chisaki to the core as he locked eyes with the shocked nurse.

"...Minami-san-"

"I-it's...it's okay."

Kiyoko kept her gaze from him as she collected the dry towel from the edge of the sink; with barely so much as an audible breath, she helped Chisaki rise from the tub. The towel was like sandpaper on his skin; he could see Kiyoko pause just for a fraction of a moment as she went to pat down his thighs, but she didn't cease her actions.

"Minami-san."

Kiyoko was folding the now damp towel on the hanger and looking for his clean pair of clothes.

"Please look at me."

"I-" Kiyoko's sentence died on her lips as she watched Chisaki fall to his knees; before she could try to speak, his forehead against the ground in a bow of apology.

"I swear on my name, that...reaction, was not voluntary. You've done more for me than I deserve; I couldn't even think to ask for more. Minami-san, believe me when I tell you I would never do anything to disrespect you."

Chisaki's eyes were closed as he pressed himself lower to the cold tile.

 _"I've been so careful to make her lower her defenses. Dammit."_

It had happened so quickly, he had barely enough time to register it; he felt ashamed. What could have possibly brought him to the edge? He couldn't believe her smile, her laugh, even her quiet joy as she spoke was alone so capable of making his restraint falter.

Or was it the thought of claiming it all for his own?

He certainly wanted to take more; he wanted more and more of her, every last bit until he practically owned her, body, mind, and soul. But his inappropriate response to her touch, the water now sullied by his own release could attest to his wavering patience. It didn't matter whether his time was nearly up in the hospital or that Kiyoko would never see him again, or even if she most likely found him the last kind of man she would consider even allowing into her heart.

Reality and differing opinions meant nothing to his mind or his instincts; in his mind, she was always his.

Chisaki's eyes snapped open at the exact moment he felt a hand lay itself on his shoulder.

"There's no need to do this. I know you didn't mean to...if anything, my reaction wasn't fair. I know it wasn't intentional, but I was just so surprised." Kiyoko confessed softly as she began to lift him up under the stumps of his remaining limbs so she could look him in the face. "It's okay Chisaki-san. Please, let's just forget it happened and get you dressed."

"Yes."

Chisaki leaned forward, Kiyoko having him propped up against her as she tugged him along to his feet. For a fleeting moment, he let his chin rest on her shoulder and his chest was pressed against hers; if he let himself linger any longer it would not only look bad, but it would be impossible to stop himself.

"There we go."

Kiyoko picked the still wet rag from the side of the tub and wiped his forehead, knowing Chisaki would be concerned with germs on the ground.

"Thank you." Chisaki stared down at her, faces merely inches away as she stood on tiptoe to wipe his brow. _"I can't thank you enough."_

He knew he couldn't even do so much as sweep the hair from her face. He knew his mentor, his surrogate father was dying and likely hated him. He knew his associates and subordinates were all either dead or captured or hated his guts. He knew his dream had been shattered and someone possibly sicker than anyone he had the displeasure of encountering was using his work to accomplish their own goals. He knew everything he had done, all the risks, all the plans, all the actions added to the list of reasons why he would surely rot in hell when his time came all amounted to nothing but the loss of his arms and power. Chisaki knew he had nothing and he would die with nothing.

He knew she could put her hands on his body and make him feel cleaner than he had been beforehand. He knew he watched the clock every day for the time when her shift began. He knew it was her words that had brought him from the brink of hopelessness. He knew it was her dignity and gentle strength that he would do anything to preserve. He knew the thought of anyone else being close to her heart was enough to cause his insides to twist like his entrails were being ripped apart and his blood was boiling over.

Chisaki knew he was enamored from the second the corners of his mouth shifted upward as Kiyoko finished swiping the warm rag across his skin so attentively.

 _"Kiyoko Minami….my angel of mercy, I have to ask you to be patient for now...I'll find some way to keep you mine."_

The nurse herself had just raised her face to look at him, ready to give a word of reassurance before moving to fetch his clothes; now her expression was frozen. As she matched his stare, Kiyoko could see her shocked image mirrored back to her in his glassy eyes.

It was such a small thing, nearly imperceptible if Kiyoko hadn't been so close to him, but there was no mistaking the grateful, genuine warmth in his smile.

They stood there for some time, neither daring to say a word, or perhaps not knowing what could be said, until the chime of the noon lunch bell brought Kiyoko from her vague sense of confusion and near anxiety; it was definitely enough to shake Chisaki from his reveries as Kiyoko slipped his shirt over his head, helped him into his pants, and rushed to get him food.

"I'll be back in just a minute Chisaki-san."

Kiyoko called to him over her shoulder as she hurried out the door; Chisaki only nodded, eyes never leaving her once before she disappeared from view along with her flushed cheeks.


	6. Chapter 6

"Welcome home. How was work?"

"It was alright. I'm sorry I'm so late-oh you made dinner?"

Kiyoko finished taking off her flats in exchange for the pair of house slippers; she made sure to put her work shoes neatly in the corner next to the entrance of the apartment before moving toward the open spaced kitchen. On the table was a modest but elegant array of rice, steamed vegetables, and breaded slices of pork cutlet; the man before her was just taking a boiling kettle of water from the stove. Kiyoko inhaled the warm, savory smell coming from the dining room with a soft sigh; she was home.

"Now I really feel bad. I hope I didn't keep you waiting."

"It's fine, I only just finished. It's not much, but I figured you could use something to eat; did you take your lunch break?"

"No time. I haven't eaten since breakfast actually." Kiyoko sighed wearily as she padded over to where her company was turning off the stovetop flame. "Can I help with anything?"

"Hm. Don't you get tired?"

"I'm not that tired, just a bit worse for wear. Nurse Hana rescheduled her break last minute again and no one ever bothers to say anything about it; her patient needed something to eat before they could receive their medication, so I ended up having to get her set up." Kiyoko told him as he glanced over at her skeptically. "Don't look at me that way; Nurse Hana was gone and no one else could find the time."

"Tough. You need to watch your health; let it be someone else's problem."

"Thank you for worrying, but you shouldn't say those things." Kiyoko pecked his jawline, one of her hands coming to make him turn his face towards her. "It's not the patient's fault if Nurse Hana goes off without a word, and after all, now I'm plenty hungry to eat the wonderful meal you've made. I hope you didn't go to too much trouble."

"Don't be ridiculous." he chuckled low in his throat and tucked a finger under her chin. "If I want to spoil you than that's my choice. You have no say."

Kiyoko laughed, ducking her head, fingers coming up to her mouth. "And what if I say I feel bad and don't want you to be put out when I come home late?"

"Deal with it. Also, you smell odd."

Kiyoko grimaced lightly. "Cleaning bedpans and using disinfectant all day doesn't make for a great perfume."

"What about the one I bought you?"

"I told you, I can't wear it there, the scent is too much; besides, the last time someone complimented it you got cross."

"I can't recall."

"Oh? You gave the aid one of those nasty looks of yours when you came to get me." Kiyoko reminded him with a hint of disapproval in her tone. "I swear, he's been terrified to so much as hand me a roll of bandages."

"Perhaps you're right; from now on you should only wear it for me when you get home." the man looming over her looked contemplative as he pulled back to grab two mugs from the cabinet overhead. "There, problem solved."

Kiyoko shook her head and reached for the wooden box of teabags settled next to the microwave; she noticed the stain on the counter from the bowl of reheated soup that she had accidentally spilled that morning had been wiped up.

"Did you clean up while I was gone? You shouldn't have, it was my mess."

"I was home; there's no sense making you do it after you've already had a long day." he answered her bluntly while she faced away from him, busying herself pouring the water into their cups. "How do you feel? Your shoulders seem stiff. Unless…"

Kiyoko placed the pot back down on the stove as he came behind her; his arms were wrapped loosely around her as his breath tickled the rim of her ear. His words were not quite whispers, but they were muttered with deliberate subtlety.

"Am I making you nervous? Or is that tension really just from being up on your feet all day?"

"I-well, I suppose it could be a little of both. I'm not used to..." Kiyoko tried to hide her face from his prying eyes. "I can't really finish the tea like this you know."

"Then don't." he held her closer. "Let's take a bath. We can reheat the food if it gets cold; besides, I hate smelling other people on you."

"Why?"

"I guess you could say I don't like to share."

Kiyoko couldn't help the nervous, amused giggle that escaped at his words. "You don't mean that."

"Honestly, there are days I don't even want you going as far as our bedroom...I can hardly smell your scent...and I can't stand the thought that other people have touched you."

The man inhaled, nose pressed to the crook of her neck and he let out a shaky breath of satisfaction; it was barely detectable, but her own fresh, almost sharp scent was still there.

"I should you know. Keep you locked away where no one else can take you."

Kiyoko turned her head just so she could look at him from the corner of her eye. "Now don't be silly, I'm not going anywhere. Not that I don't like the idea of just staying here with you all day, but you know I can't do that. No matter how much I wish I could."

"Is that true? Don't you start lying to me now." he pressed dry lips to her skin chastely, absently; it was obvious his mind was not quite there, caught up in his own thoughts. He didn't want to divulge them now; he didn't want to frighten her, though he had a hunch Kiyoko was already well aware how deep his desire to hide her away truly was. If she let him, he knew he would never let her so much as step out of their bed.

"I would never." Kiyoko said with all the patience of a saint; she would gladly spend all night confirming her words to him if he wished it, despite the fact she was near exhaustion.

"Because if you are, I won't let it slide. I won't tolerate anything less than your complete honesty. You should never feel the need to hide anything from me."

"Of course...you know, you smell nice. Did you take a shower already?" Kiyoko commented; she could smell hints of spice and musk coming off his own skin. By morning, at least unless she took a shower herself before work, she too would have the scent draped over her like a comforting embrace. Much like the one she found herself in at this moment.

"Yes. But I want to bathe with you...I'll make sure to wipe off any traces of the filth you might have gotten on you from being around trash."

Chisaki's arms were like iron bands, holding her in place tightly, but Kiyoko made no complaints, even if the position was a bit constricting. Kiyoko knew he needed this and she did so enjoy indulging him. She shivered and squirmed as he nibbled on the shell of her ear, her front teeth sinking into her lip; Kiyoko couldn't help her whimpers as his hand snuck under her skirt.

"I'll cleanse every inch of your body if I must, until your skin is rubbed raw. You will learn to not allow anyone else to come this close. No excuses."

His ungloved fingers slipped under the thin cloth of her panties.

"What's this? We haven't been in the bathe, but you're already wet?"

Kiyoko hung her head, trying to keep her expression hidden, but Chisaki was having none of it; he brought his hand to her neck, fingers caressing her collarbone as he made her look back at him.

"You don't get to pull such an expression now, not when it's you making a mess on my fingers. I've barely even begun touching you; I'll try not to make you so tired you can't eat a bite of dinner."

It was taking all his willpower to not just take Kiyoko right there in the middle of their kitchen; Chisaki moved his hand to undo the first two buttons of her blouse. He felt incredibly smug as he saw the golden band on his ring finger glint in the dim lighting as he drank in the sight of her heaving chest.

"Or maybe I should."

He could feel Kiyoko's knees buckle at this and he let out a brief chuckle as she glanced at him with worry and barely controlled desire.

"I can make it so you can't go in tomorrow at all. I'll even call your work, tell them I'm making you stay home to recuperate; it's only right your husband take responsibility for making you unable to so much as stand…"

"Please, ple-please don't, I-"

"Shhh...I'll go easy on you, just this once since I know how tired you are."

Chisaki's breath hitched inaudibly as Kiyoko's head fell back on his shoulder, wet lips parted and body quivering as she held fast to him for balance while he lazily twisted and pumped his fingers. Her soft sighs were amplified to more desperate pleas when Chisaki leaned in, teeth sinking into her pale, unblemished skin to make a mark she would never be able to hide the next day; he petted her cheek as she surrendered herself to his touch and allowed his hand to roam as he pleased.

"That's my good girl. I'd say it's fair to show some leniency for my angel of mercy…"

"Chisaki-san, are you bored?"

"Hm?"

Kiyoko lowered her book to her lap, eyes concerned and questioning; Chisaki's head was propped up on a lumpy pillow, gaze drifting over her face.

"You just seemed to have something on your mind. If you're tired, I can leave early and continue tomorrow."

"No, I want to hear the rest. I was just thinking."

"Are you sure?"

"It's quite soothing to listen to; not that it's any excuse to zone out on you Minami-san."

"Don't worry about it. I personally tend to go off in my own little world when I read; when I was in school, I would get so wrapped up in my books, the teachers or one of my classmates would have to snap me out of it, even after the bell for next period rang." Kiyoko looked mildly abashed at the memories. "I would get scolded a lot for it actually; I try not to bring my books to work because I don't want to risk getting distracted."

"I bet you were a model student."

"My grades were average really." Kiyoko professed. "My parents were astounded when I was able to get into college and then nearly died of shock when I earned my degree. They were always telling me to be more disciplined and focus on what could be useful."

"I suppose poetry wasn't one of those things?"

Kiyoko shrugged her shoulders. "Granted I probably could have spent a lot more time studying, or at least I could have joined a school club."

"It sounds like a waste of time to me. I never understood the point, especially seeing as how you've done well for yourself; do your parents think you owe it to them to succeed when the choices you make will affect you first and foremost?"

"I think they meant well." Kiyoko replied as she thumbed through the book's table of contents. "It's not that they don't want me to be happy; it's more they don't trust I know what's best for myself. It was bad enough to be born without a Quirk, but it seemed I didn't do particularly well in any subject. Whether it was martial arts, academics, and so on."

Suddenly Kiyoko ceased talking; she had a look on her face that said she had not meant to speak so much in the first place. It was hard not to get carried away though; Chisaki was very talented at keeping not only his own thoughts hidden. It seemed the more they conversed, the more comfortable he became asking questions, just as she became more at ease giving answers; still, she made sure not to expose any specific details or go any farther than she should, Kiyoko felt she could let down her guard at least a little. After all, in a week's time she would likely never see him again; she could afford this much.

"Minami-san, are you...happy right now?"

Kiyoko considered the statement. "I would say so. I like to think so, even if some might say I don't have much to be content about." she smiled self deprecatingly. "But I feel very fortunate; I have a roof over my head, stable income, and even if my schedule is a bit hectic, I do get time now and then for myself. I can't say I have regrets."

"Not one?"

"Nothing I would go back to change."

Chisaki paused before making the decision to take the conversation further. "Minami-san, I hope this isn't out of bounds, but I'm curious; do you have a family of your own?"

"A family?" Kiyoko didn't understand at first. "Oh, children you mean? No, I've never had children; I'm not sure if I even want them, but I don't hate the idea. Though it's a bit early for me to be thinking that way."

"Do you not feel ready for something like that?"

"Not exactly. I mean, before I start planning on having children, I should probably get serious about finding someone to have children with." Kiyoko chuckled lightly behind her hand. "These days of course most people in our age group seem to have most of their free time taken up with work or school though."

Chisaki was just a bit surprised; he had honestly expected Kiyoko to be at least seeing someone, albeit this assumption was made with much reluctance and bubbling jealousy at the idea of another man in her life. Still, the fact was Kiyoko was a young woman, a cute one at that, so Chisaki knew it was just naive to let himself believe men would not take notice.

"Minami-san, I appreciate you reading to me. I know it cuts into your schedule to have to see to my needs for the majority of your shifts."

"But I enjoy reading to you, especially since you're-" Kiyoko cut herself off and looked abashed.

"Since I won't be here much longer. There's no need to sugar coat things; by this time in a week I'll be locked up and serving my time. I would rather be candid about the inevitable; actually, aside from clearing the air, I would prefer not to discuss it."

"I'm sorry Chisaki-san, I wasn't thinking."

"You misunderstand me. Minami-san, I can honestly say in this moment, I feel quite content. Maybe more so than I've ever felt, even if there's many things I can't help regret and question. Still, before I have to leave, I want to enjoy the rest of my time with you...I want to smile with you before I face the music."

Kiyoko's expression was unreadable; she wasn't even sure what to say in response.

Did the man in front of her deserve what was coming to him? Undoubtedly yes; that being said, as much as Kiyoko believed that, a bittersweet emotion was rearing its head. In the time Chisaki had spent in the hospital he had been nothing but courteous and respectful of her, maybe more than anyone else ever had.

It was confusing. This didn't make him worthy to be called a good person; even though he did nothing to wrong her, Kiyoko still couldn't help her uneasiness when thinking of the crimes he had committed and how he himself was under the impression they were justified. He made his choices and Kiyoko couldn't help her disapproval just as much as she couldn't help feel pity for the man and what was to become of him.

 _"Or maybe...maybe it's more pity for the person he might have been."_

Kiyoko had seen many people come and go through the hospital; the majority were transferred to institutions and prisons, some died on arrival, and others remained there for the rest of their days. Some villains were angry and bitter, others in a state of depression, and other still unhinged and had to be restrained 24/7; most showed no remorse for their actions aside from the fact that they were apprehended. Yet for as many villains as Kiyoko had treated, Chisaki Kai had been the only one she had made a genuine connection with that was not just a civil relationship between a medical professional and a patient. It was not a friendship, but it was not quite _not_ friendship either.

 _"There's so many things I don't understand about him, including this. But no matter what my feelings are about it…"_

Kiyoko smiled and turned the pages until she found one of her favorite passages. "Then while I have you here, would you like me to read until curfew?"

"I would."

Chisaki fell into a restless sleep that night, long after Kiyoko had said her farewells for the night with a promise to bring another book in the morning.

He scowled and tried to settle into a comfortable position; he had to concentrate. There had to be something, some way he could keep in contact with Kiyoko after his transfer. Since he was powerless and essentially not a threat to anyone in his state, Chisaki was certain he would be taken to a facility where visitation rights were a bit more lax than at a institute for villains who needed to be kept on constant watch.

The countdown had already begun; if Kiyoko had any feelings for him at all, Chisaki could work something out, could make her fall for him before he had to be shipped off. If nothing else, he could have it so she would agree to visit him on occasion; on the chance that that plan worked, they could go from their.

 _"It has to work."_

Chisaki's thoughts were interrupted at a light knock on his door; as he heard it swing open, he kept his eyes closed. The custodial staff member was wheeling in their laundry basket; they usually came late at night to gather up the old sheets. Kiyoko would always make sure to fold them neatly, placing them on a chair near the door so the staff could grab them and leave quickly, that way Chisaki wouldn't as likely be stirred from his sleep.

"Huh, so your arms really are gone. That makes this easier."

There was a sharp prick on the back of his neck, almost like a mosquito bite; Chisaki only had time to jerk once before his vision began to fade.

The custodian's face was in his line of sight for a blurred moment and then the world went dark.


	7. Chapter 7

It was not until he had a few years on him that Chisaki had officially joined the Shie Hassaikai; no respected yakuza group would let some kid they just picked up off the street a bonafide member right off the bat, though the boss had made no secret of just what Chisaki was getting himself into when he accepted his offer to come with him. Perhaps the older man hadn't expected Chisaki to immediately jump at the opportunity, but the general idea was that he would have to do something to earn his keep.

True to his convictions, Chisaki had not even briefly entertained any other options but to join the organization; after all, what better way to show his gratitude than to work directly under the boss man himself?

At any rate, Chisaki's life beforehand had not exactly been one of tranquility in the first place; most people in his position found themselves in his shoes at one point, albeit they typically became petty villains in their own right or joined novice street gangs. In Chisaki's opinion, being an official member of the Shie Hassaikai was an honor.

But it wasn't going to be easy; the chances of him dying an early death, even with his exceptional Quirk, weren't anything to laugh at. And while Chisaki planned to live a long time in order to get the yakuza back to being the kingpins of the crime scene, he had also accepted the fact that there would always be a risk.

So when Chisaki woke up in a dark, dank, most likely abandoned warehouse that was one of the Shie Hassaikai's base of trade, he could only find it in himself to be more irritated than frightened. The place was a pigsty.

"You up? Finally."

Yoshinori had smacked him to knock the last traces of unconsciousness from Chisaki's eyes; now he was alert and staring up at the enforcer with a dull glare. The older man's face had shaped itself back to his original bone structure; his Quirk was definitely useful for someone who was on the wrong side of the law. While Yoshinori was unable to change his actual body, he could easily make his face morph into a perfect copy of pretty much anyone as long as he had a good look at the original. Infiltrating a hospital with only somewhat strong security wouldn't be impossible, even for a guy whose only physical strength came from street fighting.

"Who did you know on the inside?"

"Not me. Remember Koibuchi? He's been collecting from one of those laundry guys; it was easy to stuff you in the one of those baskets with your arms blown off. I snuck out, no fuss; the fuckers are probably running around that place like chickens with their heads cut off wondering what happened."

Yoshinori plopped down in front of Chisaki with a cigarette; the other man's legs were tied up for insurance. No need to risk him making a run for it. "But we were the only ones involved with the job; the rest of the guys who weren't at the compound have scattered for now until the heat dies down." he blew smoke right in Chisaki's face. "Wow you look like shit. Sure glad I wasn't there; I bet you wish you hadn't gone against the code now, huh?"

"If you're going to kill me, shut up and do it. And get that filthy cancer stick out of my face."

"Still an arrogant son of a bitch. I don't know why the boss is wasting his time. Well, wasted his time."

Chisaki's eyes narrowed. "What?"

"He's dead. Died a few days ago actually; I was able to visit him the day before he passed, and it wasn't easy to find a face the cops wouldn't recognize, I'll tell you that."

Despite his flippant tone, there was a trace of regret in Yoshinori's unblinking glare.

"He could barely even speak, but he made us swear up and down to follow his last will and testament. 'Course if it was up to me, your legs would be sawed off and you'd be left here to bleed out and chewed up by the rats. I'm still thinking it over, so you might want to watch your mouth."

"He's...dead?"

"Yeah, did your ears get ripped off too? Fucking hell, do you ever listen? That's what got us fucked in the first place." Yoshinori's tone turned heated. "The Shie Hassaikai is fragmented because of your big fucking plans. Boss man was always too damn soft on you, and where'd it get him? Stabbed in the fucking back."

A tense silence filled the air as Yoshinori stabbed out his cigarette on the end of Chisaki's amputation; the bound man didn't wince or look away from the hostile glare. He wouldn't show weakness in front of the enemy.

"So you really can't use your Quirk? Serves you right." A smile made its way to Yoshinori's cracked lips. "Anyway, unlike you, I'm loyal to what the yakuza is meant to represent. I won't break my promise to the boss."

Chisaki watched as Yoshinori searched through his jacket pocket for his lighter. "What did he say?"

"First off, I can't kill ya. Ah well." Yoshinori sighed. "Second, we bust you out; boss man said that no matter how wrong you were, the fact still was you did what you did for the Shie Hassaikai. I guess he's hoping you've seen the error of your ways."

Chisaki remained silent.

"You really were like his kid, ya know that Overhaul? Hell, he even asked me to give you a cut of what he'd been hiding away. 'I don't want the stubborn fool to have nothing all over again' , he said."

Members of the Shie Hassaikai didn't have bank accounts or savings or trust funds; they kept all their money in cold, hard cash and stowed it away in various hidey holes. It was better to only have so much in a legitimate account when the proper authorities busted a member and went to seize his assets. This way even if the man was apprehended, they couldn't get at his life's earnings; a big share of any money the members made went to the boss of course, who invested it accordingly.

Yoshinori grunted. "Yeah, and he heard about your arms. Said he wanted our prosthetic dealer to hook you up; no complaints there. After all, as long as you can't use that goddamn Quirk, you're useless like this. Ah, and the final condition; once we get this business done and over with, you don't show your fucking face around us. Ever."

Chisaki raised his head. "I'm guessing that means I'm kicked out."

"Yep. Be grateful we're not hanging you by a hook through your asshole."

Yoshinori waited for the sharp tongued retort but there was none; Chisaki was staring into space, speechless. Despite the lingering threat of death and Yoshinori's barely restrained hostility, it was the forceful discharge that was the more stressful news; after all, if he died, it was supposed to be as a yakuza, a made man.

Not a cripple. Not like this, a nobody.

"I see."

Yoshinori scoffed. "I'm out. I'll tell Doc to come in when I leave; my part is done."

As he stood up and stretched, the older man pulled three packages wrapped in newspaper out of his jacket and tossed the bundles at Chisaki's bound feet.

"Here. Call it severance pay. And Overhaul, remember, you try to come up in our territory, the deal is off. I'll be the one to finish what that handman started."

Chisaki was left for a few minutes in dead silence; a rat ran past over one of the packages, nibbling at the corner of the paper before scurrying off when it realized there was no food inside.

 _"He's...dead."_

A coldness he had never known swept through his veins and stayed there.

Chisaki was angry; even after everything that had happened, the boss was both looking after him and disapproving of him from the grave.

 _"He's dead."_

Now more than ever he longed for Kiyoko's touch, anything to make this angry, painful emotion leave him. Anything to make the burning in his eyes and chest and brain stop.

His last words to the boss had been an apology for the ensuing noise.

 _"I won't apologize for the what I did. If only he had just listened and supported the plan sooner, we could have had more time, more chances, he could have seen for himself-!"_

Chisaki stopped his own train of thought; the emotions were muted as soon as they came. After all, there was no point in 'if onlys'. He had no means to rewind the past and no way to bring back the dead.

"Hey there, thanks for waiting."

The doctor was strolling into the dark space, a battered but sturdy suitcase in tow on small wheels behind him. "Now, first things first-I assume you have the money to pay for my services?"

"Yes."

"Okey dokey." The doctor took out a rusted scalpel. "I'm going to cut these ropes; I doubt you're going to run, or get that far with no arms to balance you out."

"Fine."

"Not a big talker, eh? Well that's fine for me, makes me able to focus." Unlike Yoshinori, the doctor was significantly younger, perhap Chisaki's age or a couple years older. He cut through the tightly knotted ropes easily enough. "So, let's get to it. I have a pretty decent selection with me right now, but if you want customized models I'll need some time to get the parts together from my dealer."

"There's no need." Chisaki rose up with his own legs from a crouch; he kept his feet close to the cash in case the doctor decided to run off. "I only want to be able to have them function as necessary."

"So gripping, grabbing, holding, all that? I have models that lift anywhere from fifty to two hundred pounds. Of course it costs extra depending on how much strength you want them to have. What's your name?"

"Overhaul."

"Keeping to aliases huh? I get how it is. I'm Hotetsu, but you can just call me Doctor or Doc if it suits you." Hotetsu chuckled; it was no skin off his nose what his customer wanted to be called, as long as they weren't broke or planning to rob his merchandise. "So, what are you looking for?"

"I'm not looking for anything unreasonable. I want to be able to use the prosthetics at least as well as I would my original hands."

"I can make it pretty close. Technology, right? It seems anything it possible these days-oops, almost dropped my scalpel." Hotetsu held out his hand and the little blade came flying back. "Neat huh? I can't magnetize large items of course, but this comes in handy when I misplace my tools. I hear your Quirk was a doozy; being able to take things apart and put them back together would be real useful in my line of work. Shame you can't activate it without using your hands, but-"

"Pardon me, but I would rather not discuss this."

"Oh sorry, sorry, my bad. Anywho, how's this little number for ya? Now you see how this works is that the cables hook up to-"

"I know how they work. A few members of the Shie Hassaikai have been customers of yours in the past."

Hotetsu's eyebrows went to his hairline. "Really? I don't remember your face-wait, were you part of that unit with the masks? Oh, this makes sense boy, does Yoshinori hate your guts. Can't believe you're still alive-"

"Doctor, if you don't mind."

"Yes, right!" Hotetsu began the fitting. "Now I brought pairs specifically because Yoshinori told me ahead of time about your, er, condition. With these models you'll hardly need any maintenance, they're as good as the stuff you'd get from that hospital. Only thing you're missing is getting hooked up by some cute nurse, but hey, if life was fair you wouldn't be needing these in the first place!"

Chisaki was only half lost in thought, but decided to let the man ramble; he was too drained to make threats.

"How was it in that place? I bet they never had a yakuza in their ward; did they keep you in your own room or shove you in with a few others? I always figured it was kinda like the joint, but in a hospital."

"I had my own room. They didn't feel much need to restrain me without my powers."

"Right, right, that makes sense. Okay, try out the right one first and then the left; flex the fingers for me, there ya go. You'll need to break them in of course, but you'll get the hang of them in no time. Of course if you want to browse, I have other options for you in the bottom of my bag, and like I said custom jobs-"

The only reason Chisaki was not using his new prosthetics to strangle the back alley doctor in front of him was because he knew Yoshinori would not take kindly to the offense. The last thing he needed at the moment was to cause trouble for himself; so instead of wrapping the mechanical fingers around the other man's windpipe, Chisaki picked up one of the bundles of money to tear off the newspaper and count out the money inside. It was a strange sensation, but Chisaki couldn't quite explain the relief it was to be able to move his limbs and produce results.

"How much?"

"Well, the normal rate is 500,000 yen an arm, but out of respect for your boss, I'll only charge you 800,000 this time." Hotetsu said cheerfully; the first step in maintaining good business relationship was to cut the customer a break, usually on the first transaction. "You know, I heard he was a pretty decent guy as far as yakuza went; a gangster with a heart, real last of his kind stuff. But I guess it's that way for most of you guys now."

Chisaki handed him the bills. "No arguments there."

"Thank you!" Hotestus pocketed the money with an almost childish grin like he had just gotten a handful of candies for free. "Oh hey, you need a place to crash? I can refer you to a few spots outside of Shie Hassaikai territory for a small fee; the news is buzzing about your escape. It'd be best to lay low for a bit before trying your hand at any new scores. Pardon the expression." he added as an afterthought. "Too bad you don't have Yoshinori's Quirk, but then, you got a pretty plain face behind that freaky bird mask thing. I bet a guy like you can blend in okay enough."

"I don't intend to draw attention to myself in the first place. I won't be needing your services for the time being." Chisaki said plainly. "I could use some clothes other than these hospital scrubs."

"Oh I gotcha covered. Almost thought you wouldn't answer; these fell off the back of the truck this morning." Hotestsu unzipped a large side pocket to his suitcase; he pulled out a pair of jeans and a hooded sweatshirt with a designer logo on the front scrawled in almost illegible font. "Don't have shoes in today though, but those slippers don't look too out there. These will cost you 5,000 yen."

Chisaki knew that for something to 'fall off the back of a truck' it meant the merchandise was stolen goods; still, he didn't have much of a choice. He couldn't afford to make himself a spectacle with freedom at hand.

"Did you wash these?"

"Sure, sure, I go through my products with a fine toothed comb."

"I'll bet." Chisaki replied dryly as he took the clothes and gave the man his money.

"So now that you're a wanted felon, what's next for Overhaul?"

"Ah, funny you should ask."

Chisaki gave Hotetsu a strange look that made the man stop counting his gains and sent a violent shiver down his spine.

"I have a date with a cute nurse."


	8. Chapter 8

What Chisaki did next needed to be done carefully.

For two weeks he did just as he told Hotetsu, keeping to the shadows in a rent by the day motel that he didn't feel comfortable standing in for longer than five minutes, but that in itself wasn't much of a problem. On average Chisaki spent maybe a couple of hours or so of each day there, practicing with his prosthetics, testing what they could and couldn't do as well as his original arms.

His Quirk of course wasn't applicable, but Chisaki expected as much; still, the fingers bent and gripped, the hands curled into fists, the elbow juncture bent far enough. The material itself was similar to the dull grey of steel, though Chisaki knew the metals incorporated into the design were varied and melded together to create an almost unbreakable material. The shape of the prosthetics were exactly like that of a human hand, minus the skin; it was an odd sensation to have his limbs returned, but not quite being used to them enough for them to feel like more than obvious extensions. They got the job done and it was really all Chisaki needed them for.

The rest of Chisaki's time was of course spent planning his next move; the first thing he had to do was toss out the stolen clothes in exchange for purchasing his own, but decided it'd be best to stick to a wardrobe that someone wouldn't recognize him as. At any rate, hooded sweatshirts were perfect for blocking his face from view, along with a small supply of disposable medical masks. To the general public, Chisaki looked like any college aged man wandering around with a cold.

No one so much as looked twice at Chisaki as he took refuge at a cozy cafe a few blocks away from Kiyoko's apartment; he only had to wait a day near the hospital's entrance, slinking around the perimeter to avoid prying eyes so he could see Kiyoko leaving after her shift.

After that, it was too easy; all Chisaki had to do was trail a little behind as she walked home. He could see her every morning as she left for work without calling attention to himself; right across from Kiyoko's apartment building was a bench where people waited for the bus. Chisaki would make sure to arrive at the stop at least ten minutes before Kiyoko was supposed to go on her way.

And so, until the cops stopped coming around the hospital and the panic of his disappearance died down, Chisaki would stand among the small crowd by the bench (he'd never sit where dozens of people sat every day, leaving who knows what kind of germs) and watched her walk down the steps of the concrete porch. After only two weeks he was able to recognize a pattern.

It was a charming sight that helped get Chisaki through the long hours; Kiyoko would always step off the sidewalk right foot first, gently smoothing out her coat, eyes forward and back straight. She used the same over the shoulder bag, clutching the strap with her left hand so she could check her phone with her right.

Of course, it was a disappointment to find he couldn't actually get inside her home; at night it was easy to see Kiyoko's profile through the window on the third level. Despite the cool weather, she liked to keep the curtains parted for the majority of the time she was home, keeping the window cracked open to allow fresh air inside. It had been worth almost slipping on the rain soaked fire escape to get a glimpse of which suite Kiyoko entered, but even so, she always made sure to lock both the door and the window when she left for work.

Chisaki developed a habit of waking up early to see Kiyoko off; then it was back to his motel to fiddle with his prosthetics, visit the local second hand book shop, and then he'd head on to the cafe to wait for Kiyoko to pass by on her way home.

A young man spending his day reading and sipping tea quietly in the corner of a cafe was the last person people expected to be a criminal in disguise; Chisaki found it was the perfect time to get educated on the poets and authors Kiyoko had mentioned she liked or from whose works she had read to him. Since the weather was still a few degrees short of warm, no one even questioned why Chisaki simply kept his gloves on even when he was indoors. This was mostly just an extra precaution; fake robotic arms were the least unusual sight among the crowd Chisaki so easily blended in with, but the news broadcasts were careful to mention his current condition. The less visual cues to make people assume he was the wanted hospital escapee, the better.

This was just how Chisaki spent his days. At night, Kiyoko never bothered to lock her window.

Chisaki always held his breath as he quietly crept into the living room, making sure to step on the couch cushions with care so to not make the springs squeak under his weight; the light coming from Kiyoko's windows all shut off around ten o'clock, but Chisaki made sure to wait until it was near midnight to pay his visits.

Part of him tried to wait before making contact at all; Chisaki didn't feel it was the right time to pay a formal visit just yet. He wanted their first meeting to go smoothly, but even his self control had its limits.

It did not come as a surprise that Kiyoko was a sound sleeper; after so many hours on her feet and dealing with stress from interacting with both coworkers and patients alike, Chisaki could only imagine the toll it took on her. He just wished she would eat better; often when Kiyoko returned home, Chisaki saw her indulge in meals that were fast to cook and eat, usually washed down with a glass or two of wine.

 _"Worthless, diseased trash, running Minami-san ragged every day. No matter. I'll see she takes better care of her health myself."_

For one, Kiyoko really needed to be more diligent with security. She always left her bedroom door open; just as he had hoped, Kiyoko lived alone, didn't even have any pets. Chisaki approved; animals just caused messes in his opinion, though he had half expected her to have some sort of pet to at least keep her company or giver her a sense of security. A single young woman, living all alone with no combat training or a Quirk, was unfortunately at a disadvantage.

 _"All the more reason for me to be with her. Once the chaos dies down, I'll have to implement a lot of changes around here."_

Chiskai settled back on a chair to scan Kiyoko's face for any signs of stirring, but as usual, she was fast asleep. Even after five weeks it was astounding how different Kiyoko looked when unconscious; her mouth would hang open, her eyelids would flutter almost imperceptibly, her hair would get matted on whatever side she kept to the pillow. Chisaki liked that she didn't sleep in the middle of the bed by habit; he didn't like the idea of being jostled and pushed when they shared the room.

For now, this would just have to do; Chisaki would check the clock and around two or three, a couple of hours before Kiyoko needed to leave, then he would be on his way as silently as he had arrived.

Still, Chisaki's patience really was wearing thin. It was true that things needed to be proceeded with caution considering the circumstances, but Chisaki wanted nothing more than to skip all of it so he could begin his true objective.

" _Ah, but I shouldn't get ahead of myself."_

He decided to wait one more day; that afternoon he had chanced going to the hospital boundaries, and the cops were no longer surrounding the area, and public broadcasts only mentioned him in passing.

The next morning after seeing Kiyoko off to work, Chisaki went to find clothes more suitable for a house visit, planning to change into them just before he would go. The sleeves of his new blazer easily kept his arms from sight and the scarf he had bought looked completely natural draped around his shoulders and over his mouth; there was no need for the surgical mask, not with the company he was intending to keep that night. He was somewhat regretting switching out the sneakers for hard soled oxfords; he didn't want to make too much noise if he was planning on following Kiyoko straight after she was leaving work.

 _"If I keep a fair distance behind her, she won't even know. Besides, there'll be enough people around that she won't notice."_

Chisaki had already gathered his money and what few possessions he had obtained in the past weeks into a messenger bag; he had checked out of the motel that morning. It might have been due to the anticipation, but the time seemed to fly and drag on by as Chisaki tried to preoccupy himself with the latest book he had been studying and going over how to best explain his presence and intentions to Kiyoko.

Even the walk to her apartment was torture; Chisaki made himself wait twenty minutes until he was sure Kiyoko was able to settle in and relax a little before he would go up and ring her doorbell. Luckily the entrance to the building was not locked before a certain hour.

He waited three minutes before pressing the button.

"Hello?"

 _"Minami-san…"_

Chisaki said nothing as Kiyoko unlocked her door and slowly opened the door enough to get a good look at her unexpected visitor.

Her jaw hung open and she took a step back as soon as she saw him; Chisaki smiled.

"Minami-san, I hope I'm not interrupting anything."

Kiyoko didn't say a word; she was looking at him like she was in a trance, like what she was seeing couldn't possibly be reality. Chisaki didn't blame her; it had been just over a month since their last meeting, at least for her.

"It's not much, but I brought you a little something." Chisaki held out a bouquet of bright daffodils and a small cake in a plastic container. "May I come in? I realize this is sudden, but I have something urgent to discuss with you."

The door slammed in his face. Chisaki knocked curtly on the door.

"Minami-san? Don't tell me you think I'm here to cause you trouble; I only want to talk. I picked out these flowers especially for you."

"Chisaki-san, you shouldn't be here." Kiyoko's voice was steady, but there was an unmistakable note of panic; she seemed to be pressing herself against the other side of the door. "Please, you shouldn't be here, you have to go-"

"Minami-san, at least take the cake? I don't care for sweets much myself."

The gears in Kiyoko's mind were switching to overdrive.

 _"What is he doing here? How did he find me? He's talking as if nothing's wrong. He said he isn't going to hurt me...is he going to get mad if I don't let him in? Does he have a weapon?"_

Chisaki waited; he figured she might overreact, but the thing to do was remain calm and show Kiyoko she had nothing to fear.

"Minami-san, if you allow me a moment of your time, I promise to not hassle you. I only want to talk."

The door opened a fraction; Chisaki couldn't help the smile that overtook his features.

"Minami-san, you look like you've seen a ghost. Did you think I was dead? Honestly, for a bit I thought I was too when my old associate took me away. I was positive he had a hit out on me, but as it turns out, he was sent to aid me by my deceased boss."

"Deceased?" Kiyoko chanced opening her door just another inch. "What do you mean? How-how did you know where I lived?"

"If you let me in, I can explain everything." Chisaki made sure to keep his tone gentle. "Minami-san, please. You're the only person I trust right now. You were good to me; what reason do I have to harm you?"

Kiyoko looked up at him warily, but in the end she stepped aside, scanning the halls for any unexpected persons while Chisaki slipped off his shoes for house ones.

"Minami-san, I can put these in water for you if you'd like."

Kiyoko nodded distractedly, making sure to keep her phone in her hand as Chisaki went over to the kitchen to find a cup and fill it with water. It didn't occur to her he already seemed to know where everything was.

"Chisaki-san, what's going on? People are saying you were killed, or that you escaped, or-or I don't even know. And why are you here? How are you here, why-?"

"As you can see, I'm alive and well, and even capable of performing certain tasks all on my own." Chisaki used kitchen scissors to cut the stems of the flowers shorter so they would fit in the cup. "The old head of the Shie Hassaikai recently passed away; before that, he was able to contact a loyal enforcer of his to set me free from the hospital on the condition I cease to call myself one of their own...and never show my face to any member."

Chisaki turned to her with a calm expression as he set the flowers down on her table. "Not that it matters now. I'm not involved with any schemes of theirs. As of now, I'm just Chisaki Kai all over again."

Kiyoko was trying to take it all in; she moved forward a few steps to look him in the eye. Despite his almost cordially tone, there was a pinched quality to Chisaki's face and gestures. He seemed to be trying to appear cheerful for her, but the mannerisms were obviously insincere.

"I still don't understand. What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to see you."

"Chisaki-san, this isn't-I can't just-"

Kiyoko put a hand to her mouth, not to hide a smile, but as a reflex of intense worry; her eyes darted all about and glistened with emotion as she tried to sort out her thoughts.

"You need to go."

"Why?"

"People are looking for you."

"No one knows I'm here. I've been careful." Chisaki stepped forward, but she jumped back, to his confusion. "Are you not happy to see me?"

"Happy?" Kiyoko's voice was feeble.

"I went out of my way to find out where you lived; I waited and hid like a rat, just so I could see you, talk to you again." Chisaki spat.

"You're not supposed to be here at all. I should-"

"What?"

Kiyoko fell silent, stepping away as Chisaki began to stalk toward her, but her back hit the wall; his gaze was cool and unwavering.

"All I want to do is thank you Minami-san. I thought you of all people would understand; I can't believe you're treating me like some low life thug when I've spent weeks trying to figure out the best way to repay you for everything you've done for me."

"I don't want you to repay me for anything. I was just doing my job."

Chisaki towered over her, placing his hands on her shoulders; Kiyoko flinched violently, her teeth audibly chattering.

"Why are you looking at me like that? I'm not hurting you." Chisaki's eyes were slits. "I'm not doing anything, though I would appreciate it if you stopped lying to me before I do get upset."

"I'm not lying." Kiyoko shook her head hard. "Please Chisaki-san, you have to understand, you're not even supposed to be here. I won't call the police, I swear, but you have to leave-this is wrong, you can't do this, you have to leave, please-!"

Chisaki silenced her frantic pleas with one hard look; his artificial fingers dug into her skin, but it wasn't enough. He still couldn't feel her.

"Do you think I'm wrong? Is that it? Why? Why does this keep happening?"

Kiyoko shook like a leaf and kept her mouth shut as Chisaki glared and spoke low under his breath, each word increasingly hostile as he tried to contain the volume of his voice.

"Even after the boss died, he thought _I_ was the one mistaken. He thought _I_ was in the wrong, as if everything _I_ did wasn't for his sake, for the sake of the yakuza. I only did what needed to be done. They didn't listen."

Chisaki was at a loss. He hadn't expected her to react this strongly; he wanted her to welcome him with open arms, but all she seemed to want was for him to be gone, like he was a pest.

Kiyoko didn't make any sudden moves as he leaned forward, forehead resting on her shoulder, hands sliding down to her waist in a loose embrace.

"And you...don't you see why I had to come here? Where else was I supposed to go Minami-san? I have to start over from scratch and all I have is that damned name I wanted to be rid of. I'm trying to keep going like you said, but now you're rejecting me too?"

Kiyoko's own trembling had stopped; the cuff of her collar was sticking to her skin as Chisaki pressed himself into her as much as he could.

"I would never brush you aside like others; I would live to make sure you saw how much you've given me. How is that wrong?" Chisaki demanded to know. "How is it wrong to be here? I've been picturing this moment in my mind for weeks. I thought you would be glad to see me, yet you're frightened. But you shouldn't be. You don't have to be afraid, not of me, not when I-I can touch you, I want to touch you, I need-"

Chisaki's confession died on his lips; if only she could understand, if only she knew the gravity of his words. Kiyoko was it; she was all he had left in the world to turn to. How could he make her realize how much this was killing him inside?

Kiyoko placed a hand lightly over his back. "I don't know what to say. I…"

"Don't tell me to go." Chisaki raised his head, eyes blazing as they looked at her with ardent affection. "Let me stay, just a little. You know I have no reason to betray you."

"I can't-"

" _Please."_

Kiyoko felt herself waver at his gaze; he held her so tightly, she was sure nothing would pry him off.

"You can't let anyone see you..."

"Of course."

"I could get thrown in jail for failing to contact the police."

"If anyone ever catches me, I'll say I forced you to keep quiet."

The immediacy of Chisaki's response made Kiyoko struggle to come up with any other points.

She was nearly half the size of a man who had killed before. She had no weapon, no way to escape if he turned violent. Kiyoko had no idea what Chisaki would do to her if she upset him.

But even she could see he was hanging off her every word.

"Chisaki-san, you have to promise me-"

"Anything."

"-you won't-you can't do anything to get in trouble."

"Absolutely."

"Chisaki-san?"

"Yes?"

"Could you please...let me go? I should get started making dinner. I'll set up a place for you to sleep."

Chisaki pulled away quickly with reluctance. "I'll help."

Kiyoko nodded and went to put away the cake he had brought.

 _"That's what I'm worried about..."_


	9. Chapter 9

That night Kiyoko really didn't need to turn in immediately after she ate; the next day she had off, but then she sincerely doubted whether she would actually be able to enjoy getting to sit around her home. Once Kiyoko did set up an extra futon in the middle of the living room floor after picking at her meal, she retired to her room and proceeded to stay up the whole night.

Ever since Chisaki arrived she had been on edge; to his credit, nothing he did caused her any alarm. He set the table and ate in silence, perhaps sensing Kiyoko wasn't quite in the mood for conversation; when he had finished, Chisaki took away both of their empty dishes and even offered to clean up so Kiyoko could relax seeing as how he was the one who dropped in one her out of the blue.

In fact, he had been nothing but well mannered, not once complaining about having to sleep on the somewhat worn futon or the rushed meal or the way Kiyoko practically ran to the safety of her room with only a brief good night and a promise she would do some serious thinking about the situation. Of course, Chisaki did request she leave her phone in the living room; when Kiyoko tried to make the case that she needed to use the alarm, Chisaki only said he would get up at the same time as her when her morning clock went off. Finding no reason or extra energy to insist otherwise, Kiyoko left her phone charging on the low coffee table, locked and set to ring around seven.

On Chisaki's end, he couldn't remember the last time he had slept so peacefully despite the ragged state of the extra futon and the slight chilliness in the open space; the only thing keeping him from falling asleep as soon as he lay his head down was the fact he and Kiyoko were now only separated by roughly twenty feet and a locked door.

Kiyoko ended up rising half an hour before him after getting about the same amount of rest; she knew it couldn't be put off any longer, but she didn't want to come out of the bath, let alone step foot outside her room. It was too surreal; she didn't understand how Chisaki could have found her address, aside from either him stalking her or the possibility that he had used his own sources to find out.

After all, how else could he have possibly known where she lived or when she would even be present? And for that matter, just what did he plan to accomplish by seeking her out? If what Chisaki said really was the truth, then Kiyoko wasn't in danger, but that could easily change. She was nearly half his size, the only physical strength she possessed was in her upper arms and back, but it would hardly be enough to fight him off should he become hostile. His artificial arms looked sturdy and could probably cause more damage than if they were his original ones; well, excluding the fact that if that was the case, Chisaki would have been able to use his Quirk.

"Chisaki...san?"

Kiyoko went directly to the living room, but he wasn't there; the futon had been folded up in the corner of the room along with the blanket Kiyoko provided. For a moment Kiyoko allowed a bit of the stress balling up in her to release; her phone was exactly where she had put it and Chisaki seemed to have left on his own.

 _"But what if he just stepped out?"_

As it turned out, Kiyoko didn't have anything to worry about; a high pitched whistling made her jump out of her skin. She strode to kitchen and looked around the corner; Chisaki was taking the kettle of the stove, shirtsleeves rolled up to the elbows of his prosthetic arms as he carefully poured the steaming water into two cups. The sunlight was just beginning to peek out from the gaps in the window blinds and the rest of the kitchen and dining room was illuminated by soft golds; when Chisaki turned to glance over at her, his eyes caught the light and the warmth of his gaze was only matched by his faint, uncovered smile.

Under normal circumstance, Kiyoko might have thought Chisaki's presence to be welcoming, but she just couldn't bring herself to feel anything more than a touch of calm at his relaxed posture as he gestured for her to sit.

"It occured to me you normally drink coffee, but by the time I thought of it I was already set with the tea." Chisaki commented as he set down the mug in front of her. "I didn't want to just go through your fridge, but if you don't mind, I could make us something."

"Us?"

Chisaki nodded as he brought the small glass shaker full of sugar to the table and settled in with his own cup. "I hope me being here isn't putting you out. If there's anything you need me to do or would like me to handle, just say so. It's only fair, considering the shock I gave you."

"No, I...well, Chisaki-san I wanted to talk to you about that." Kiyoko placed both her hands on the warm cup so she might steady her nerves. "I...I don't quite know how to begin."

"Take your time. Feel free to bring up any concerns you might have; you shouldn't be nervous, this is your home after all."

"Right." Kiyoko nodded stiffly; she took a quick sip of the hot tea and found it settled her stomach somewhat. "From what you said, you no longer have any ties to the Shie Hassaikai? I mean, you really had no idea one of the members would break into the hospital?"

"Not a clue. It was a pretty short notice thing actually; my boss had passed away not long after he made the request. I suspect he might have known I would be shipped out soon."

Kiyoko tried to look him in the eyes. "Chisaki-san, just what are your plans? Obviously you can't just walk outside and start looking for job openings. Maybe not everyone has seen your face, but...and then you did say you were no longer a member of that group?"

"I am not allowed to enter any territories or make contact with anyone who is connected to the Shie Hassaikai. That's not to say I can't make associate with other people in the underground, though doing that with the current climate would be foolish. In short, I don't have plans to take part in any activity that could land me behind bars, and I especially don't want to risk getting you into trouble." Chisaki hadn't yet touched his own drink. "Do you think I'm lying?"

"To be honest, I don't. Or, I don't see any reason for you to." Kiyoko conceded. "But still, why are you here? Chisaki-san, what did you mean when you said you wanted to repay me?"

Chisaki was just about to bring the rim of the mug to his lips for a drink; at her timid inquiry, he paused and lowered the cup back down to the table.

"You know, we're not in the hospital anymore."

Kiyoko blinked and nodded back, unsure of whether she was supposed to affirm this statement or whether there was a point to it she was supposed to get.

The meaning behind it did become painfully apparent once Chisaki's cold metal hand was placed over her own that continued to grip her mug.

"There's no need to be so formal. Kai is fine."

Kiyoko snatched her hand away, scooting back in her chair so hard she nearly fell backwards; Chisaki had risen halfway in his seat as if to assist her, but she regained her balance within seconds. Yet, Kiyoko's eyes were as wide as a startled deer's as she sat upright.

"Chisaki-san-!"

"Still with the formalities? Hm, I guess it would be a bit soon to expect you to be comfortable with using my given name right off the bat. And besides," Chisaki couldn't help a soft chuckle as he sat back down smoothly. "That is the name you know me as, so I don't mind too much."

"You don't-I don't think you understand…" Kiyoko tried to find the best way to put it. "Chisaki-san, have you heard of the term 'transference'?"

"No, but I suspect you'll inform me of it."

"Transference is basically a redirection of emotions to someone or something. Now please Chisaki-san, hear me out and think carefully about what I'm going to say."

Chisaki nodded gravely, giving her his utmost attention. Perhaps too much; Kiyoko wished he would blink.

"From what you've told me about people you've known in the past, the only person you've ever felt close to was the head of your group. You trusted him and he helped you during a time you most needed someone to…"

"Just as you did."

Kiyoko was a bit glad to see at the least he was following along. "And now that he's gone and you have to start over…and then losing your arms and that-that plan you mentioned, don't you think it's possible the...way you regard me might be rooted in that?"

"Yes."

Kiyoko started; she didn't think he would be so agreeable to the theory.

"Well in that case, if you see that, why-?"

"Why did you help me when no one else did?"

"I was your nurse."

"So?"

"So…?"

"No one else could give a damn. Why did you? Why did you reach out to me, even when I was initially cold? You could have easily done the bare minimum."

"But my job-"

"Would any of them have really cared? I mean, if you left me to get ill and suffer pain from my injury, would anyone have pressed hard for you to be more diligent?"

Kiyoko looked down at her cup. "No. They wouldn't have."

"So why you? Why out of all the people who were assigned to oversee my treatment it was someone who not only put in the effort when the rest of the staff wouldn't bother and one of the few people in this country, in the world, who aren't one of the diseased I loathe so much?"

"What, are you saying this was some destined act?" Kiyoko was incredulous. "Chisaki-san, you can't believe that. I did what I was meant to do and my being Quirkless is just a coincidence. There are still others out there with the same condition."

"Don't refer to yourself as if you're the sick one. If you do it again, I-"

Chisaki cut himself off; all of the apprehension in Kiyoko's gaze was back in full.

"Kiyoko, I didn't mean that."

She didn't know what was more unnerving; the fact Chisaki had so naturally used her given name or the fact that he was making his way over to her, hands clasping over her own, mindful of how strong his new grip was.

"I know you're scared, though I still say you have no reason to be. I just can't stand to hear you speak like you're less than you are anymore than I could stand keeping away."

"What if I had a Quirk?"

Chisaki raised his eyes to look into her troubled gaze.

"Once people hear I'm Quirkless, it's the first thing they associate me with, always!" Kiyoko bit her lip to keep it from trembling. "They don't even see me as a real person. How is what you're doing any different?"

Chisaki wouldn't budge. "It is different. I appreciate the quality as it was meant to be, but I would not have the amount of respect I have for you if you were weak and a fool. I don't know if I'd ever be able to explain it in words alone, at least not over the time it takes to have tea. I'm still trying to understand it myself. It's new to me as well."

Kiyoko blinked back bitter tears as he stood, pulling up his chair so he could sit right next to her; his hand was now on her chin. The metal finger that tucked away a piece of her hair felt freezing as it skimmed her ear; the boldly penetrating stare passed freely over her features, as if he planned to memorize her just as she was in that moment.

"I am mystified by you."

Kiyoko did not miss the husky quality in the soft murmur as his fingers took their time leaving her hair. It was enough to make her freeze up and wish to bolt in the same instance.

"Th-this is wrong. I've broken the law. I shouldn't have even let you stay a night. I-"

"What good would a prison cell do for me? I'm not a threat how I am now; I'm not even one of the yakuza anymore. I definitely can't risk doing anything with being a wanted fugitive."

Kiyoko tried to find the strength to counter his point, but her mind was a blank slate; she was terrified of being caught, but more so of angering him and giving him reason to hurt her. Whatever Chisaki said, the least he could do was take her down no problem.

"Think about it Kiyoko. You're so busy with work, but you won't have to spare a second thought with me here to assist with errands and chores; in addition, I could watch over the house and provide security." Chisaki withdrew his hands seeing her rigid discomfort, but he didn't push his chair back. "It worries me that you live alone. If anything happened to you-well, I wouldn't be able to rest knowing I could be here to protect you."

Kiyoko's mouth was set in a thin frown; Chisaki didn't know whether she was sincerely mulling his points over or was simply troubled by his bold touch. He didn't see why it would be the latter; even with his new hands, the fact remained he had no way to earn the privilege of feeling her skin against his fingertips. The prosthetics could only accomplish so much when all was said and done.

"Currently, I don't have a place to stay safely; my cut of the profit I've been paying the boss can only last so long." Chisaki ran a hand through his hair and let out a brief, tired sigh. "I should be clear; I'm not expecting you to do anything you'd be uncomfortable with."

Kiyoko wasn't left with much room to interpret the statement as meaning anything other than that Chisaki didn't want to push her to return his feelings; at least she was hoping it was what he meant.

"I meant to wait another month before contacting you directly, but I didn't know how much longer I could take waiting. I was losing my mind knowing you were here and I couldn't even speak to you."

 _"I don't think I have much of a choice...I can still barely get my mind around this."_

Kiyoko slowly exhaled. "Chisaki-san, if you keep your word, you can stay. But you have to be mindful that this is my home and my life you've decided to come into. I'll keep quiet, but you must do the same; if you do go outside, you make sure no one can trace your location back to here."

"Of course. I wouldn't dream of taking your kindness for granted. Grateful doesn't begin to describe the way I feel toward you Minami-san."

Chisaki got up to make them fresh tea; Kiyoko thanked him with what might have been an attempt at a smile as she held back the sense of dread at the way his touch had lingered on her skin. Even with his back turned, she felt watched.


	10. Chapter 10

Assimilating himself into a roommate was a surprisingly easy task for Chisaki.

Each day began with him arising a bit before Kiyoko to make them breakfast. When Kiyoko left for work the next day, Chisaki had ventured out covertly on his own to get groceries. It would seem the majority of Kiyoko's kitchen held the bare minimum of ingredients and premade meals; this sort of diet may have been all well and good for someone with a busy schedule, but it was far from nutritious. Chisaki wasn't a five star chef, but he did prefer to fix his own meals when he had the time; after all, he knew exactly where his hands had been.

Once refilling the cabinets with actual food was accomplished, Chisaki busied himself with taking care of the state of Kiyoko's apartment, though if he were being fair, it wasn't half as bad as he thought it might be. For the most part it was devoid of clutter and build up of dust or grime, excluding a few corners and vent ducts; but Chisaki wouldn't blame Kiyoko for slacking a bit on the conditions of her home.

Kiyoko always seemed so tired after work; by the time she came home, she was barely even able to find the energy to converse with him during dinner, aside from polite, noncommittal responses to his inquiries of her day and words of appreciation for his help. It was the best part of Chisaki's day, even if she didn't speak much.

When he wasn't preoccupied with helping Kiyoko with what she couldn't tend to, Chisaki would pay visits to the second hand bookstore. Sometimes he would read from her own collection; there was an old shelf in the living room stuffed full of novels, poetry, and a few self help books entitled things like, 'The 7 Habits of Effective People', 'Nursing From Within: A Look at Self-Care', and 'If I'm so Wonderful, Why am I Still Single? Strategies to Change Your Love Life for the Better'. Chisaki wondered if there was a chapter about opening your eyes and knowing a good opportunity when it was smacking you over the head with a hammer. Otherwise, he found himself pleased with most of the contents in Kiyoko's personal library.

Before Chisaki had access to the apartment himself, he had seen Kiyoko frequently lounging in her recliner after a long day, curled up in her pajamas with a book and a cup of steaming hot tea. As Chisaki was granted with his own time to kill, he found himself gravitating to the same chair, thumbing through each text with disciplined focus. All the literature Chisaki bothered to pick up at the bookstore for his own use were chosen with the intent of research in mind, but Kiyoko's own worn, crinkled page collection also served a purpose.

The idea was to get insight. Chisaki was determined to find out Kiyoko's likes and dislikes, what peaked her interest, the way she thought, what made her tick; but truth be told, Chisaki did feel somewhat irked at the fact he had to scrap for such information instead of hearing it from Kiyoko herself, but there really wasn't much he could do otherwise.

Each day Kiyoko had her own settled routine; she would get ready in a timely manner each morning, yet she would have maybe ten minutes at the most to eat the breakfast Chisaki had prepared. All he had time to do was make sure she took the lunch her packed for her before Kiyoko was out the door and down the street. After work it wasn't much different; Kiyoko always came home with little to say and not much of an appetite. Chisaki would always try to strike up a conversation, but Kiyoko was disengaged at worst and vaguely alert at best; as soon as her dishes were rinsed, she would excuse herself to her room and stay there for the rest of the night, door shut and locked.

It was ironic that they had such an easier time talking as patient and nurse; but then, Chisaki was the one who probably was in contact with Kiyoko the most when she was having to tend to his every need.

The oddest part was the fact that when Chisaki had been watching over her in secret, Kiyoko had never been so quick to retreat to her room. At first he wondered if Kiyoko had caught some sort of cold or illness from one of her patients, but she exhibited no symptoms aside from being distant.

It almost made him miss the hospital.

" _I've made Mina-Kiyoko uncomfortable. But how?"_

Chisaki thumbed through a book of flowers Kiyoko had from her school days; he could see in the index a stamp from a local college. He wondered if Kiyoko purchased it herself or if she simply forgot to ever return it.

" _I wonder...Kiyoko is always so busy….maybe that's it. She spends all day diving her attention between patients, her supervisors, and everything else she needs to get done, she just doesn't have enough energy to do much else."_

Chisaki frowned to himself. But the fact was ever since he got there, Kiyoko didn't need to dispense effort on anything at home. The cooking, cleaning, even a few minor repairs like a leaky faucet and a loose door hinge, he had taken care of it all.

" _Then it's something else."_

Chisaki closed the book and placed it on the coffee table; he looked at the empty couch next to him. The loveseat was brown leather and cozy looking, but it didn't look like it got much use. As far as Chisaki could see, Kiyoko never had company over, friends, family, or otherwise. He wondered if she was lonely.

They could be sitting together on that couch, reading books and sipping tea and soaking in the comfortable silence only broken by the sound of rustled pages. Now and then Kiyoko would glance up at him and as the hour wore on she would find her eyes growing heavier and heavier until she could no longer finish her reading. Chisaki would close his own book shut and carry her, yes carry, because she would be falling all over him in her groggy state, and he'd take her to their room and lay her down next to him. Kiyoko would be so close in the dark, fingers tracing along his face light as a feather until they found the scar near his hairline; a little frown might tug at her lips, but Chisaki would reassure her that it didn't bother him. Nothing could bother him when she was looking at him with such gentle concern. Then she would smile.

Chisaki's peaceful expression twisted to mild frustration; none of that would be happening at the rate he was going.

The things they could be played out in his mind like something from a film, smooth and maybe a bit predictable, but satisfying all the same. Kiyoko was the one who encouraged him to start over anew and think about what else he could do with the life he still had. She had asked them if there was something he still wanted to do, some sort of goal he could attain, even in the state he was left in.

Chisaki knew his old dream was dead. Shigaraki Tomura and the pro heroes had seen to that. It didn't matter if Chisaki still had a resourceful mind, a keen intellect, or a fearsome disposition; it wasn't even enough to have his arms back. He had no real power in comparison to Shigaraki and unlike him, Chisaki didn't have a group of supporters at his heels willing to obey.

Chisaki honestly didn't know who he despised more; with any luck the heroes and the villains would kill each other off during the inevitable confrontation Shigaraki would incite with his twisted mind and Chisaki's stolen work.

Not for the first time, Chisaki couldn't help wish that he had met Kiyoko before his fall. Back then he had the money and resources to keep her under his surveillance, even when he couldn't be near, and keep her safe.

Of course, Chisaki wouldn't have locked her away in some dank, musty dungeon; he wasn't a monster. Kiyoko would have her own room, spacious and finely furnished with a bed covered in soft silks and plush pillows for her to have an easy rest. She'd have nice clothes to wear and pretty things to adorn her neck and wrists, pieces Chisaki would pick out personally. He'd make sure at meal times she would be brought delicious food, every day something new that Kiyoko otherwise wouldn't have been able to sample on her own salary. Chisaki would lavish her with gifts, would sit her down and run his fingers, his own flesh and blood ones, through her perfumed hair and have her tell him if there was anything she wished for. He'd like for Kiyoko to ask him for things herself, to turn her face up to show him her grateful smile and thank him so sweetly.

And all Chisaki would ask for in return was for Kiyoko to never step foot outside. He hated how she had to submerge herself in filth and disease every day to make her living, and if Chisaki had it his way, he would have kept her isolated and far from anything that would make her unclean.

As pleased as Chisaki was with his new arms and hands, he still found himself frustrated to no end that he was not able to really feel Kiyoko's skin and hair and lips with them. He couldn't help think of rewinding the clock and the hours he could have spent just touching and exploring her body to his heart's content; once again Chisaki was slapped with the cruel irony that now impeded one of his most burning desires.

If only he could have ensnared Kiyoko earlier. If only she had been his from the start, kept safe and secured in the beautiful cage Chisaki had built, and he knows without a doubt he would have done so. He was not willing to take the risk his angel of mercy flying away from him.

It was unfortunate, but if that was the case, Chisaki would have had no choice but to clip her wings, to wear her down to compliance for her own good; he honestly didn't want to be forced to do such a thing.

After all, wasn't it enough that Chisaki was willing to all but throw himself at her feet so that Kiyoko would stay grounded, so she would remain by his side? In exchange for his devotion and protection all he asked was she give herself to him. Even now, all Chisaki aimed to do was please and make her life a little easier, and what did Kiyoko do in response? It was as if the time they had shared meant nothing to her. He might as well have been a stranger trespassing in her home.

"That's it."

Kiyoko wasn't responding to him because he hadn't given her anything to respond _to_. The past few days Chisaki had been keeping out of the way; since the first night he had approached her, Chisaki had been careful to give Kiyoko room and respect her personal space.

That was the root of the problem. Chisaki hadn't done anything more to close the distance; his speech was polite and mindful, if not formal.

" _If I want to change things around here, I need to be more forward."_

Truth be told, Chisaki couldn't help cringing every time he remembered the way he had hung all over Kiyoko before. He really had no idea what came over him. It seemed as the days went by, his mind only grew more muddled and if that wasn't enough, his heart had been hosting a tempest of emotions; frustration, anxiety, anger, regret, admiration, desire, and an ever present desperation that gnawed at his insides. Chisaki had waited so long to have a chance to make Kiyoko his; that night he had ached to be near her; for the first time since his dreams had been shattered, he felt there was something worth looking forward to.

If there was some way he could make Kiyoko understand that, Chisaki knew it would only bring them closer.


	11. Chapter 11

Kiyoko Minami sometimes wondered what it would have been like if she did have a Quirk. It wouldn't have needed to be anything very remarkable; the majority of the people she knew in her everyday life didn't have ones that were particularly flashy or even that useful, depending on the situation.

That being said, everyone she knew had one; once Kiyoko had even ventured to ask her weary parents if there was ever someone in their family tree who was Quirkless. They told her that, no, such a thing hadn't happened as far as they knew. Kiyoko tried not to show sadness at the pained looks on their faces as they said this.

Kiyoko had cultivated a thick skin over the years though, and if nothing else, she could say being Quirkless didn't bother her quite as much as it had in the past. Children could be cruel and thoughtless in their teasing, but as she grew and matured, Kiyoko found the majority of people her age and older were less apt to point out her shortcoming so boldly to her face. Of course, they made it subtly clear that they did consider her condition a shortcoming, but at least they were less blatant about doing so.

Perhaps it could have been easier if Kiyoko had met someone else who shared what she lacked; now and then Kiyoko was even tempted to search for people online who were Quirkless. After all, she knew there were people like her everywhere, even if the number was a small percentage. In the end Kiyoko decided against it; she felt oddly about chatting with strangers and pouring out her troubles to them, even if they were empathetic and eager to listen. Besides, Kiyoko was certain people would think her spineless and meek for not being more open about being powerless and just letting others talk how they pleased about her and Kiyoko didn't feel like being judged for yet another thing she couldn't change about who she was. It was just simpler to keep her head down and let people say what they wanted; Kiyoko knew from experience that confrontation would only lead to defensiveness and more hostility and accusations of being thin skinned.

Work at the hospital was incredibly time consuming and draining most days anyway; at the end of the day, no matter how snide or condescending her co workers were or how often her family expressed restrained and polite disappointment, Kiyoko just wanted to be left in peace and live by her own values. Even when there were times she felt ready to burst from frustration or the painful sting of being singled out as a defect made her heart heavy, all Kiyoko needed to do was sit down, have a cup of tea, and immerse herself in one of the many pieces of literature from her collection.

Kiyoko lost herself in flowery language and witty observations, felt rushes of emotion due to tales of people she knew didn't exist in reality, yet felt so very real, and found solace in the musings of poets who poured out their souls on pen and paper for people like her who wanted a little time to be outside of themselves. It didn't matter if Kiyoko was a disappointment or a joke or even a complete and utter nobody. As long as she had these little comforts and her own dignity in tact, Kiyoko didn't dwell long on the unfortunate chance that she was born unlucky.

Meeting Chisaki Kai only seemed to highlight Kiyoko's unfavorable circumstances and she found she couldn't just deflect the consequences of being Quirkless by paging through a favored novel this time around. For all the grief it brought her, Kiyoko never could have foreseen not having a Quirk getting her into such a scenario; not her, not a woman like her who made sure to keep their nose clean and never said an unkind word or performed any deeds to illicit trouble. Kiyoko had never so much as received a parking ticket, and despite scoldings and remarks from her superiors, she had never been officially reprimanded and her record was completely devoid of even a write up. No one she knew was in trouble with the law, and besides that, Kiyoko's social circle was almost nonexistent, so she had never fallen in with the wrong crowd. For all intents and purposes, Kiyoko's entire life, even without a Quirk, should have been uneventful and typical as could be.

It was the exact opposite of the man she was dreading having to come home to. From all Kiyoko had heard from authorities coming in and out of the villain hospital, the gossip from her peers, and what tidbits she had heard from the man himself, Chisaki Kai AKA Overhaul was like a monster out of someone's nightmares. Chillingly cruel, ruthless, and willing to do anything in the name of his goals, even if it meant torturing a child, even if he had to maim and kill his own subordinates. The most terrifying part was that Chisaki regretted absolutely nothing, except for the fact he had failed when all was said and done; Kiyoko had more than once mused that Chisaki could have used his Quirk for something grand. He had told her about the way he had torn people apart and only to bring them back together, whole and cured of any ailments they possessed previously, but then, it was glaringly clear all of these incidents were not done out of a sense of charity or good will. Chisaki would sooner kill than save anyone if it moved him to do so.

"Kiyoko, how was your day? I hope you found time to eat lunch."

That morning Chisaki had sent Kiyoko on her way to work with a boxed lunch; he expected at least half of it to be gone by the time she came home. Kiyoko thanked him, rushing out the door and refraining from flinging the container out into a sewer drain on her way to the bus. Kiyoko knew Chisaki watched her through the window, eyes never wavering for a moment as they gazed down on her shrunken form sitting on the cold bench. She had caught a glimpse of Chisaki more than once as he hung back and kept himself obscured behind the pulled back curtain; Kiyoko's hands would be clammy and her hairline damp with sweat by the time the bus finally pulled up to the stop.

Chisaki always watched her; as much as Kiyoko tried to avoid eye contact, she knew this without a doubt, grimly joking that perhaps she had an intuition Quirk all this time that made it possible for her to feel when people were staring at her.

But then, it was impossible for Kiyoko not to be aware; whenever her nervous gaze did land on his impassive visage, Chisaki would only seem to be more attentive, stare unblinking and trained on her, anticipating whatever words came out of her mouth next.

In truth, Chisaki couldn't help himself. Kiyoko so rarely spoke to him and it was a shame; her voice was pleasant to listen to in all its various forms, whether tentative greetings or monosyllabic answers, even the sound of her stumbling over a reply when she was caught off guard was enough to make Chisaki drop everything to better listen. He only wished she would laugh again for him, or at least smile.

"You seem tired. Were those idiots at the hospital giving you any trouble?" Chisaki's even tone didn't disguise the disdain in his usually placid gaze; he had been out and about all day trying to make sure everything was in order for what he had planned.

Kiyoko shook her head, slipping off her shoes and exchanging them for house slippers; she placed her purse on the couch and brought the now empty bento box to the sink. Chisaki was sitting at the table, sipping hot tea with one of Kiyoko's books in hand; another cup was placed directly across from him on the other end of the table with a tea bag already inside.

"I'm glad to see you enjoyed the food. Was the salad too bland?"

"No, it tasted very refreshing."

Kiyoko had eaten maybe a few bites before just tossing the rest away; she hated to be wasteful, but her nerves wouldn't allow her to enjoy more than a morsel lately. The paranoia of someone finding out she was harboring a fugitive and the anxiety and raw fear she felt coming home to said criminal was wearing down on her as the days passed. Kiyoko only ate as much as needed to satisfy Chisaki; he worried constantly about her health and often chided Kiyoko for not taking better care of herself. After all, he would say, a medical professional should know better and then his lips would lift faintly at the corners in what Kiyoko supposed was meant to be a teasing smile.

"I was able to get the tomatoes and spinach fresh; there's an old, half blind man who sells them not too far from here." Chisaki closed his book. "Don't worry Kiyoko, I make sure to be discreet wherever I go. I hear the authorities are losing their edge and are more focused on those villains to care much about a Quirkless runaway with no arms. But I will be careful, for your peace of mind if nothing else."

Chisaki ushered Kiyoko to join him at the table; she can't help marvel at how easily he can perform tasks with his artificial arms and hands, perhaps even more efficiently. Kiyoko gets shivers at the thought of losing a finger, but she suspects Chisaki's nerves are much harder to rattle, that even the prospect of death wouldn't even be enough to make him crumble. It terrifies her. Kiyoko is not ready to die anytime soon and she sincerely hopes she can avoid such a fate if she keeps Chisaki appeased; Quirk or none, it wouldn't take much effort at all on his part to take her life, and whatever fondness he may hold for her, Kiyoko doesn't flatter herself assuming Chisaki would exempt her from something he had done to countless others without hesitation.

"You have the day off tomorrow, don't you?"

"Oh yes." Kiyoko is confused before remembering she keeps a calendar magnetized to the refrigerator for convenience. Kiyoko considers what she should do; she's honestly been looking forward to the time off. Perhaps she can just stay outside the whole time, run some errands, but that might make Chisaki suspicious.

"Good. I made plans for us."

Chisaki is pouring hot water into the cup, looming over her not too far away. Kiyoko feels every fiber of her being tense up despite his relatively genial gesture.

"I wanted to treat you to dinner tonight. I know a place we can go that isn't likely I'd be spotted or recognized by anyone who would want to see me locked up. I also got you a present to show you how grateful I am for your hospitality."

Kiyoko is at a loss for words; she can't find anyway to get out of this. She tries to calm down and look at him directly; Kiyoko noticed in the past weeks his hair has grown out just a little and the faint scar can't be seen. Chisaki had told her he planned let it grow a bit so he wouldn't be as easy to recognize.

"That's very kind of you, but you really don't have to. I mean, what if someone does spot you?"

"I don't think it will happen. Besides, it's worth the risk to spend an evening out with a woman like you in my company."

Kiyoko offers a smile that makes her cheeks feel stiff, but Chisaki doesn't let on her can see it's fake if he knows. Chisaki so rarely smiles himself; perhaps he's not accustomed to telling genuine ones from forced ones.

"Get ready when you're done with your tea; you can shower if you need to, we have some time to spare. Just make sure that before you change, you open your present first."

Kiyoko nods and hides her faltering smile by taking a drink; she tries to reason with herself that there is nothing to be jumpy about. Chisaki is in a fairly good mood it seems; they'll eat and come home.

Kiyoko blinks, surprised at herself for thinking in terms of this being their home, not hers. But then, Chisaki has taken residence there for over a month and if anything, it's Kiyoko who feels like the intruder who needs to tiptoe around to avoid doing or saying anything that could offend him.

Chisaki makes no comment at the look that passes over Kiyoko's face as she finishes her tea; he will wait until later, when Kiyoko is more relaxed, to ask if there is something on her mind. He's sure once they're out together and enjoying a nice meal, Kiyoko won't be so stiff.

Kiyoko makes a swift retreat to her room and is greeted with the sight of a white box on her bed; there's no indication of what could be inside it. Before she can chide herself for being so afraid over a present, Kiyoko pries off the lid carefully and moves aside the tissue paper to look down into the contents of the mystery gift.

It's a dress.

Kiyoko's gaze is uncertain as she lifts it up and gives it a once over, but nothing happens. The cloth unfolds and Kiyoko sees it is her size from the tag sticking out in the back; the thing is, it looks exactly like something she might wear, a bit more fashionable and with a pencil skirt that will surely cling to her in a borderline uncomfortable way, but the solid black color and the overall modest cut is identical to something Kiyoko might find in her dresser. She realizes this must be what Chisaki wants her to wear and Kiyoko is suddenly curious as to just what kind of place they'll be dining at. For now, Kiyoko just tries to swallow her anxiety and focus on keeping a collected front, reminding herself Chisaki means no harm, even if the gesture is more than forward; the only way it would be more unnerving is if he included a set of lingerie to match.

Chisaki knock gingerly on the door after waiting half an hour; he is already dressed in slacks and a black button down shirt, the sleeves all the way down and uncuffed to hide his prosthetics. He can't wait much longer and hopes Kiyoko won't keep him in suspense.

"Chisaki-san?"

"I'm done. Are you ready?" Chisaki almost adds the term 'darling' to the end of that inquiry, but he reigns it in the last moment. A woman like Kiyoko wouldn't appreciate something so forward, not so soon.

"Yes."

Kiyoko opens the door, clad in the dress and her own pair of heels she keeps for formal events; the dress does fit well and Kiyoko is grateful Chisaki isn't making her dress up in something skimpy or outlandish for his own amusement. The feeling of slight relief is chipped away at when she manages to look at him and her weak smile falls completely.

Chisaki steps up to Kiyoko until she can feel the heat from him radiating onto her; she flinches as his hand takes hers because the metal is cold to the touch and she knows if he wanted, Chisaki could break her bones easily with one squeeze.  
Her eyes are what makes his senses go blank; Chisaki always admired their somber reflectiveness and he longs for the time where Kiyoko would gaze at him steadfastly and he could enjoy them to his heart's content. The dark hue of the dress offsets the color of her eyes in the best way and Chisaki finally gets why people waste valuable time waxing lyrical enough to fill pages in books thicker than doorstops.

Yet, he can't find words to describe it, seeing Kiyoko in the dress he found for her, stare on him alone, her seemingly frail body so close, they could fall into each other with one misstep. Chisaki finds this is the one time he wants to curse Kiyoko's grace and careful footing, but it's only for a second.

Right now, Chisaki simply wants to take in the vision before him and the fact he can't bring himself to feel any of the white hot anger, despair, or hopelessness that's been afflicting him since his dreams were reduced to shambles; it's honestly laughable. Just the sight of Kiyoko and the knowledge she'll be his by the end of the night is a balm that eases his wounds, if only for a while.

Kiyoko is the one to break the silence with the most timid of ventures. "Chisaki-san…"

"Yes."

"You-you're staring."

"Yes. You're beautiful."

Kiyoko can't help her burning cheeks; no one has ever looked at her as he is now; she manages and he frees her hand to hold out his arm. He wants to escort her properly.

"Oh, um, thank you."

"No need to thank me. I want to keep you close while we're out so no one bothers you." Chisaki knows right now he will lose all self control if someone so much as tries to get in his way. "Let's go."


	12. Chapter 12

Kiyoko tries to keep as much distance between them as possible despite Chisaki's insistence on having her by his side. Chisaki tells her it's the hour criminals and trash are coming out from hiding and the idea of any harm coming to her on his watch is unacceptable; Kiyoko doesn't mention the most prevalent danger is the one leading her by the arm.

Still, as much as Kiyoko feels intimidated, Chisaki's presence is somewhat reassuring; Kiyoko is not stranger to physical labor, but she is slight and looks like an easy target. While she keeps her head down and her eyes focused on a point where she doesn't look directly at anyone, Chisaki hold his whole body straight and tall, his narrowed gaze casts looks over anything that captures his attention or scrutiny. Kiyoko is lightly gripping the area just above his elbow, where Chisaki's arm is his own and not made of wires and metal; she can feel it's firmness and was decidedly uncomfortable.

Once Kiyoko had walked in on Chisaki when she was home early from a shift; he was in the middle of the living room and the coffee table pushed to the wall so he could have a space to move freely in. The prosthetics were off to the side, perhaps taken off to increase the difficulty of his exercises. Chisaki was doing rapid crunches without arms to give him leverage; at the time, Kiyoko was too startled to take notice of his defined abs and broad chest. The sight of him moving with such intensity, the strain showing in his furrowed brow, and the unexpected exposure of what was left of his limbs made Kiyoko want to flee out of her own apartment then and there. He looked inhuman. Kiyoko had sidestepped around him with a brief apology for interrupting before she all but ran into her room, turning on the shower so he wouldn't try to speak with her just then.

Chisaki on his end, while sincerely apologetic for startling her and moving her furniture without permission, had to keep from expressing frustration at how his attempt to peak her interest had not gone as planned. Truthfully, Chisaki didn't mean for Kiyoko to walk in and he wasn't expecting her for another hour, but he had hoped for a better reaction. He fully intended for Kiyoko to become aware of the fact his body was powerfully built and the underlying implications, not just that he was fit and able to act as a protector of sorts, but…

Well, Chisaki supposed that would just have to wait; Kiyoko wasn't the kind of woman to lose her head over the sight of a half naked man. Still, he was hoping that since they were no longer burdened with having to keep up appearances as a nurse and a patient, Kiyoko could feel more relaxed expressing interest in him. Nothing would make Chisaki more pleased than to know she wanted him, but he had to say, the anticipation made the pursuit all the more enticing. Having Kiyoko tucked in close has Chiskai's skin itching in a way that almost made him want to create distance just so the sensation wouldn't cause him to do something rash to make her offended.

Tonight is going to be perfect.

"Can I start you off with drinks?"

Kiyoko tells the dour faced waiter she'd like a water in a voice as muted as could be; Chisaki orders a bottle of wine for the table and looks at her pointedly once the waiter leaves them with their menus.

"You can have whatever you want, just let me know and I'll order it for you."

"Thank you."

Kiyoko keeps her hands on her lap and her eyes cast down to the table; the restaurant is nice, nicer than any place she's treated herself to in the past, but she can't bring herself to get comfortable. Not when Chisaki's eyes continually glance from his menu to take in her every reaction.

"Kiyoko, have I done something to upset you?"

Chisaki's voice is blunt as ever, but there's a note of regret Kiyoko can't ignore; she musters a grimace of a smile and shakes her head.

"I'm, um...well, I supposed I'm just feeling a bit out of place. I don't even know what to get."

"Allow me?"

Chisaki makes to reach for her menu with a gloved hand; he places it under his own and continues to scan the list of entrees. Kiyoko feels a little relief his eyes are not on her as he overlooks what dishes he guesses she would enjoy.

"I'll order a couple of things for you to try; I'm sure you'll find them to your liking. Anything you can't finish, we can take home."

Kiyoko internally cringes as Chisaki gives her an almost gentle look at the end of his sentence; she doesn't know if she can call her apartment 'home', not with him there, waiting and watching her for reasons she tries not to think on.

"Oh."

Chisaki glances up at her from the menu. "Is something wrong?"

"I just realized...I don't know how to say this." Kiyoko clears her throat quietly. "I've never been to dinner...like this before."

"You mean, with a man?"

Kiyoko almost wants to laugh; her first date and she's nervous for all the worst reasons.

"Yes, I suppose so." Kiyoko stuttered as Chisaki's hand reaches out to take hers; he is sitting next to her at a respectable distance at their booth and Kiyoko is grateful he isn't insisting on being attached at the hip.

"Is that why you're so nervous? Rest assured, I will be a gentleman. Though, I can't say I've given much thought to things like courting or that sort of nonsense."

Chisaki's metallic hand is cold even through the glove, as cold the clipped quality in his tone; Kiyoko wishes she could say that if this was such a bother to take her out on a date, Chisaki should recall it was his idea to do so in the first place. Instead, Kiyoko takes a more careful approach to the subject.

"Chisaki-san, why...why did you bring me here?"

"To show my gratitude and allow you some time to relax and get away from those idiots at your job. I'm glad to be out of there myself; I didn't think I could scrub my skin hard enough to get rid of their filth."

Kiyoko shrinks in her seat as the server returns to their table. Chisaki places their orders, tone having seamlessly gone from gentle to disdainful to curt civility as he speaks to the waiter. When Chisaki inquires of Kiyoko how she wishes her meat to be cooked and whether she would prefer soup or salad, he indeed sounds like a perfect gentleman. She glances around discreetly as she can, waiting for someone to call Chisaki out and to contact the authorities.

Kiyoko gulps and reaches for her glass of wine; at this point her nerves will be shot from the paranoia eating away at her and she might do something foolish.

Chisaki is surveying her closely once the server is out of sight. Kiyoko can't help avert her gaze the second they lock eyes.

"You're scared of me."

It's a statement, and a correct one at that.

"Do you think I'll hurt you? Do you think perhaps I'd do something to harm you once we arrive home? Maybe you're under the impression I plan to end the night by forcing myself on you."

Kiyoko sets down her glass, hand trembling too much to hold it steady for longer than a sip.

"Don't say otherwise. I can see it all over your face."

"I don't...Chisaki-san, how do I know you won't do any of those things?"

"You just have to trust me."

"I just don't understand why you're doing this to me." Kiyoko speaks softly so no one can overhear, though the other patrons are a distance away and immersed in their own conversations.

"This isn't meant to frighten you. I just want to talk with you...maybe get to know you. I would like you to at least be able to look at me like before." Chisaki places his hand back over hers as lightly as he can to help her cease shaking. "You know, you remind me of my boss."

Kiyoko chances looking up at him, not expecting such a thing to come out of his mouth. Chisaki says it so plainly, though there is an off look to his gaze.

"You're both people of exceptional moral fiber. For all my boss represented and despite directly opposing the laws you live by, he always believed decency and respect were the only ways someone could gain and keep influence over others. He tried to instill his code of ethics into everyone involved with our group, myself included. Especially me."

"But you disagreed."

"Yes. I still do. To obtain real power, it can't just come from a place of charitableness. That sort of power is prone to leaving yourself open to be attacked. The people assumed to be loyal will betray that decency."

"It would seem so from what you told me."

Chisaki sent her a look that spoke volumes of displeasure, but Kiyoko kept her expression neutral, and he decided she wasn't purposefully trying to get a rise out if him. She was simply confused and didn't know better. Chisaki almost smiled. It was a bit endearing, having to explain things to her. At last, they were having a real conversation.

"I never betrayed my boss. Everything I did was to ensure our security, preserve our legacy, and eventually make us stronger. I just failed."

"But...even if it came from a place of gratitude, you still went against his wishes."

"I didn't agree with him, but that doesn't cancel out my intentions. If he had let me begin my plan years ago, we would have had more time, more opportunity. He failed to respect my views and we all paid for it. Sometimes people let needless values and clinging to the past get in the way of the bigger picture. They don't know what's best for them."

"Chisaki-san...why did you wait then?"

"What?"

"You seem so sure you were right and what you did needed to be done. But, why didn't you go through with it sooner?"

Chisaki stared at her for a moment.

"That's a good question."

Kiyoko could see Chisaki wasn't a man who let himself be held back by the opinions of others. He was too arrogant, too confident in his own convictions, and determined that things play out according to his methods. Yet for all Chisaki's disparaging remarks on altruism and the vulnerabilities derived from it, the former head of the Shie Hassaikai had managed to hold some influence over Chisaki exactly _because_ of that past act of charity towards his subordinate.

Whatever resentment Chisaki had toward his deceased mentor, Kiyoko didn't need to have powers to see the lingering respect and admiration held for the man who had taken him in. Chisaki had held himself in check, keeping his actions underwraps until he couldn't any longer, and attempted to abide by what his boss valued, even if it meant setting his plans back.

Kiyoko finished her wine, her unease returning full force as Chisaki studied her wordlessly.

Despite the high esteem Chisaki had held his boss in, the fact remained he had ultimately acted on his own views, heedless to what was possibly the only person Chisaki had cared for.

Because if their bond had been severed by Chisaki's own blind arrogance and desire for power, what did this mean for her? What measures would Chisaki go to if Kiyoko did something to displease him or go against what he wished for her? Ever since he came into her home, Chisaki had been subtly pushing Kiyoko to listen to what gw thought was in her best interest. From the outside, it would seem he wasn't doing much more than playing the role of house husband or concerned suitor, but Chisaki was the one with the real control in this involuntary arrangement.

But then, Kiyoko reminded herself as Chisaki poured her another glass and his sharp eyes took in her face with subdued warmth, she also seemed to hold some modicum of influence herself. It was just a matter of knowing how to use it and when.

"I do enjoy talking with you like this, Kiyoko. You never speak out of turn or speak just for the sake of hearing yourself. Of course, I can't imagine ever tiring of whatever you have to say."

Kiyoko let herself thaw enough to smile almost sincerely. The wine was at least smoothing her nerves and her body was feeling less wound up and ready to tense at the slightest movement from him. Maybe she could even manage to enjoy herself long enough to forget who exactly she was dining with.

As the discussion turned to one of the novels in her collection that Chisaki had just finished reading, Kiyoko couldn't help considering the humor of the scene with a wry half smile she hid behind her glass. Kiyoko doubted too many people she knew could say their first date was with a wanted fugitive. Now the only question was whether she'd live long enough to ever divulge such a story to another person.


	13. Chapter 13

"What is this?"

"That would be the pan seared salmon with lemon pepper and garlic seasoning with the sides of creamed spinach and onion soup."

"I can see that, though I'm surprised you could see anything, what with the state of this bowl."

Kiyoko didn't know if it was from being on her third glass of wine, but she was almost certain the waiter's whole body sagged in exasperation at Chisaki's tone; either way, Kiyoko felt so awkward, she had to gather her thoughts so she wouldn't accidentally let out a nervous giggle.

"Pardon me sir?"

"There's a stain on the rim of this bowl. Does this restaurant always serve patrons with dirty dishes or are we just special?" Chisaki drawled; all in all, his tone leaned more toward restrained irritation than outright disgust. Perhaps this was him being on his best behavior; Kiyoko took another sip of wine to keep herself from making an odd expression.

"My apologies."

"Oh, it's really fine-"

"If it's not too difficult, bring us back soup in a bowl that's seen soap and water."

"Of course, I'll be right back."

Kiyoko sent the resigned waiter an apologetic look but he seemed completely unphased; once he was gone, she turned to Chisaki, who was scrutinizing the plate of salmon and spinach.

"That really wasn't necessary. It was only a smudge of sauce."

"I won't have you eating off dishes still stained from other people." Chisaki scoffed under his breath at the very idea. "I'm surprised your glass didn't still have an imprint of lipstick or something on it from the last user."

Kiyoko opened her mouth to speak, but the waiter was already walking briskly back to their table, shoulders squared and the face of a man subdued by doing tedious tasks and being talked down to day in and day out. Kiyoko felt a pang of empathy.

"Here you are. This bowl is fresh from the wash and the soup is fresh; I will make sure your next entrees will comes out in the order placed."

"Thank you very much." Kiyoko offered a smile that she hoped communicated her deepest sympathies and the fact she herself had nothing to do with Chisaki's criticism. The waiter's face remained bland and poised, but he did nod to her briefly before taking his leave; Chisaki let his unimpressed gaze linger on the man's back before he turned to his own dish of roasted duck and rice. Kiyoko didn't want to think what his reaction might have been if there had been a stain on his own fork or plate.

"Kiyoko, won't you eat?"

"Oh yes. Thank you."

"Don't. This is a gift. Let me know what you think of it."

Kiyoko didn't need to use her knife to cut through the fish; all it took was applying a little pressure with the blunt edge of her fork to split off a bite sized piece. Chisaki's watchful gaze was on her as he ate and Kiyoko wondered if Chisaki was even bothering to taste what he was putting in his mouth. The wine had taken most of the edge off and Kiyoko felt her body relax and grow pleasantly limp as the time passed, like she was submerged in a warm bath; she was becoming used to his staring at any rate, though for the life of her, Kiyoko couldn't understand what about her was so interesting. Then again, Chisaki was nothing if not observant.

"This is delicious."

Kiyoko took her time letting the flavors seep into her taste buds; she had never had a salmon dish, aside from what she ate in pre packaged sushi. But this was a whole other experience; the salmon practically melted in her mouth.

Chisaki nodded once, as if approving of her approval; on the outside one would assume at a glance that he was bored to death, but this couldn't be further from the truth.

Kiyoko's face had taken on a unguarded, almost blissful quality as she sampled the dishes Chisaki had picked out for her; he knew it was a bit of a risk going out to eat together, but he felt this was something Kiyoko needed. Just a nice, brief escape to an environment she didn't get to frequent, with things she rarely, if ever, treated herself to. The speakers were playing slow, soothing melodies of violinists and pianists, so unlike the clinical, eerie quiet of the hospital; the candles lit in the center of every table gave off a completely different mood than the harsh fluorescent lights of the ward Chisaki and Kiyoko had once spent so much time together in. Chisaki didn't want her work, feelings of paranoia at being discovered, or apprehension for her own safety to be on Kiyoko's mind tonight.

All he wished was to sit and talk and indulge in the fact that at long last it was just the two of them, free to do and say whatever they wished without the confines of the hospital or he and Kiyoko needing to be on more professional terms to avoid others butting in.

Chisaki was no longer her patient and Kiyoko was no longer his nurse. Tonight they were simply a man and a woman having dinner together.

Chisaki refilled Kiyoko's glass and asked how her meal was so far and she actually smiled at him. On the walk home she leaned into him for support.

He could feel her warmth through his shirt and the jacket he had draped over her shoulders.

Every time they passed under a street light, Chisaki stared with the intention of remembering every detail of Kiyoko's face as she strolled beside him with her arms linked around his.

Chisaki thought they looked pretty good together. Kiyoko with her petite frame, her neat hair, her somber eyes, reflecting, showing only glimpses of herself to him. Kiyoko was a traditional beauty to be sure, and Chisaki vaguely marveled at how much pride he felt being the man to escort such a lovely, perfect creature home.

"Did you enjoy yourself tonight?"

"Yes. Chisaki-san, thank you again; tonight was nice."

Kiyoko hung up his jacket carefully on the cost rack by the door; she wasn't being dishonest. After some drinks and time, she felt more comfortable, at least enough to enjoy her meal and even converse with Chisaki on light subjects of no real consequence. All in all, it could have been an absolute disaster.

"The nights not over yet."

Before Kiyoko turned around, she knew Chisaki was standing close behind her. She wondered if his eyes ever left her since they had gone out.

"What do you mean?"

"I have one last surprise for you."

"Oh, Chisaki-san, you don't have to-"

"I realize that."

Chisaki's cold, metallic hand took Kiyoko's with nearly feather light pressure. She felt some of the calm warmth that had settled from the wine evaporate at his gaze. His facial features were as smooth and untroubled as ever, yet his longing stare held an almost sobering quality.

"I realize many of my actions up until even tonight have caused you discomfort or fear. I won't debate whether your feelings are justified or not. The bottom line is that I want you to…"

Chisaki stopped himself. He gave Kiyoko another long look before turning on his heel and gently tugging her hand, a silent gesture for her to follow. Kiyoko said nothing as he led her to the dining room; he pulled out a chair for her and she sat obediently. He began rifling through her cupboard and Kiyoko still said nothing; she focused on willing herself to calm down despite being on alert. Kiyoko tried to remind herself that Chisaki had done exactly what he had said he would earlier; they had just gotten done having a moderately uneventful meal and Chisaki seemed to be in an agreeable mood, if not a bit...off.

Chisaki set a bottle of sake and two little, rounded cups down in the middle of the small table. Kiyoko didn't recognize them and realized he must have purchased the sake set somewhere earlier. Chisaki finally settled in after pouring them each a portion; he didn't push it when Kiyoko didn't move to drink.

"I have to tell you something. Will you listen?"

Kiyoko nodded once. Chisaki seemed to take a breath, his features momentarily scrunched as he regarded his own hands resting in his lap.

"You read my name's kanji wrong that night. The characters for my surname don't actually read as a thousand blossoms."

Kiyoko could have blushed, recalling her attempt at comfort that night. "You must think I'm illiterate."

"It doesn't matter. Kiyoko, you can't know how much I despised my birth name. In my mind, it was a strangers. I was determined to take on a mantle of power and the title that came with it. The person who went by Chisaki Kai had nothing to do with that future. But now my plans are a lost cause. Overhaul is dead."

Chisaki's words were laced with bitterness; he idly traced a finger around the rim of his cup. Kiyoko didn't know if she should offer her condolences. On one gand his goals repulsed her. Yet on the other, seeing him this way did not bring her any pleasure either. For a moment Chisaki looked just as he did when they first met. Broken and ready to give up.

"Of course, you've only known me as Chisaki Kai."

Kiyoko started. Chisaki has risen from his chair and was no standing at her side, towering over her.

"I think I was reborn that night we first spoke to each other….that night, my name meant something else. It was the name of a man who you graced with your smile. It was the name of someone given reprieve and a new purpose. I believe I might be able to live the rest of my life with some happiness if it meant you accepted me as I am now. I renounce who I was, my old life. I don't need it. My angel of mercy...Kiyoko, you can make my new dream into a reality."

Chisaki took Kiyoko's cup and sipped. He gently took her hand and placed the cup in her palm. He lowered himself before her on one knee. His eyes were swimming with quiet, burning adoration.

"Before you asked if there was anything else I wanted to do with the rest of my life. Now I have a question to ask you."


	14. Chapter 14

"Call me Kai from now on."

"You...want me to call you Kai?"

"We're no longer in the hospital. We have no need to put up our guards or act like strangers."

Chisaki continues to hold her hand almost limply in his own; Kiyoko guesses it's so he doesn't hurt it. It can't be because he considers her something that needs to be treated gently, like someone precious, like he-

Kiyoko feels a shiver run through her body and every nerve is screaming at her to retract her hand. It hits her so fast despite it not really being a surprise. Kiyoko has known in her heart for a while now what this was, but it isn't until now that she understands how serious Chisaki is, the depth of his lingering gazes, the meaning behind all of his careful words, his compliments, his odd insistence that she is special, she is not like those he deems diseased. This is more than just a fondness or affection, more than what she had assumed. Kiyoko feels like such a fool. The cup in her hands feels so heavy.

"No more titles, no more worrying what others think. It's only us here now. I know it may seem sudden to you, but don't mistake my request for something careless or thoughtless." Chisaki holds her hand in place and stares into her eyes like he's drowning in them, like nothing else exists.

"Call me by my name. Not by the name of your patient, of the man who came to you broken and without reason to live. Call me by the name of the man you've made a fool of, won't you? Yes, a fool. I can't even touch you, not properly; you might believe it's poetic justice. To me it's torture."

Kiyoko feels the cold metal of his prosthetic against her hot cheek. She can't feel Chisaki's pulse through it, not his heat, or his skin; there is no sign of life from the contraption. It's more a tool, not truly even a part of him, but Kiyoko is trembling all the same. The sake inside her cup is spilling over with how hard her hand is shaking.

"You're ill, Kiyoko. But I can cure you. I can show you the way things ought to be, how someone like you should carry themselves in this world. I can take away any pain this illness inflicts on you. It's simple. All I ask is you take away this...this loneliness….this longing. You treated my wounds once after all. Would one more time be so difficult if it meant becoming mine?"

Chisaki takes in her quivering mouth, her wide eyes; she looks rattled, but she is not as responsive as he'd like. She can't seem to give a single reply. Is she still so frightened of him? Does she...hate him?

"You think I'm crazy."

"No, I-I just don't...I don't know what to say. I don't-Chisaki-san, please let go of my hand."

"Kai."

"I-"  
"Please."

Chisaki pushes the cup into her palm, curls her fingers around the ceramic.

"No!"

Kiyoko rips hers hand from his and stumbles back on the ground; her cup has been knocked from Chisaki's ushering grip, clattering to the floor and making a mess where Kiyoko lays. Her fists are clenched against the tile floor, her body is taut like a drawn bow; she looks at him like a startled bird ready to fly away at a moment's notice.

Chisaki kneels there, face impassive. His hand picks up the cup and holds it; he doesn't look at it. Just holds it in his hand. The rim is chipped.

"Do you hate me that much? Even now, when I've only tried to repay your kindness? Have I done something to insult you? Have I so much as raised a hand to you? No...but you still…."

"I can't. Chisaki-san, I can't accept this."

Kiyoko pulls herself up to half sitting; her hair is in disarray around her cheeks, but her voice is level now. She appears to have regained her senses enough to speak.

"Please...please, I can't…I don't love you. I was only doing my job."

"Was that all it was? Your duty, your sense of obligation? I find it hard to believe." Chisaki comments. "You're so cruel to lie to me this way when I've been nothing but honest."

"I am not lying. I don't hate you Chisaki-san; you're absolutely right, you've done nothing to hurt me. You made have made me uneasy and yes...you scare me. But I won't say you've done anything to actually hurt me. But you've hurt others. Chisaki-san….when I think of what you've done to that little girl…"

"Is that all? She isn't dead you know."

Kiyoko wants to throw up at the nonchalant quality in Chisaki's voice; no, not even that. He sounds relieved almost, as if to say, 'oh, is that all?'.

"Eri was a failure, or more accurately my plan was a failure due to those heroes interference. Her existence was a cursed one from the word go; I was only making use of her. If anything, I gave her purpose. It would have been a waste otherwise, don't you agree? You still believe even under the worst of circumstances, people may still have the opportunity to make something of themselves, don't you Kiyoko?"

Kiyoko can't bear looking at him any longer. She feels sick to her very stomach.

"Ah. I was hoping you would understand. But that's okay. It's in the past after all." Chisaki continues; he rises to his feet and sets the chipped cup down on the table. "Let me help you up."

"I'm fine."

"Don't be ridiculous. You've been drinking and you obviously have a lot to think over. I'll help you to your bed. You should get some rest..."

Kiyoko's somber eyes follow his own gaze; it flickers briefly over her bare, slender legs, the skirt of her dress having exposed them during her attempt to crawl away.

"Let me help you up. Don't be afraid."

Chisaki reaches out for Kiyoko only for her to slap away his prosthetic hand with as much force as she can muster.

"DON'T TOUCH ME!"

It's a wonder no one else in the building has heard her shrill cry, but the only sound that follows is silence and Kiyoko's heavy breathing.

"Please just...please, don't."

Chisaki's face is blank. He's staring down at her like he's in a trance. The hand she has used to strike his is red; Kiyoko holds it to her chest and tears finally escape her eyes, from the pain or the fear, Chisaki doesn't know.

He smiles. He smiles down at her, watching her with what might be gentleness. And sadness.

"I couldn't touch you even if I wanted to. Don't you see, Kiyoko? Wouldn't you say it's punishment enough? To be powerless, to have nothing but your name, to have to sit there day after day and watch other people, unworthy, filthy, trash, speak and touch you so casually when they don't deserve it? Every day, I would think about what I could do, what I could possibly give you with how I am now. How it would feel to touch someone and not feel my skin crawl and not be disgusted. I thought about it constantly and it amazed me. It convinced me. I tried to find reasons not to pursue you, to stop this...this affliction. But I couldn't stop questioning it; if it was so wrong, if it was something to avoid, why...why is it I look at you and I feel cleansed? Why is talking to you enough to set my mind at ease? How can it be wrong when your touch was enough to get me through one more day of hell? Don't you see? Kiyoko, don't you? Don't you understand?"

Chisaki stoops down and pauses for only a moment before taking her in his arms, half forged of metal, half blood and flesh above the elbow joints. Kiyoko is limp; her had hangs in what could either be acceptance or defeat. She feels like she weighs nothing and Chisaki holds her just a little tighter against him; he has an insane idea she might just float away.

Kiyoko doesn't resist when Chisaki carries her to the bed, not even when he unzips her dress and slips it off her body as she sits upright on the edge of the bed. She may be either too muddled from the wine and the stress or paralyzed with fear, but Chisaki likes to think she might trust him at least a little. He leaves her in her underwear; it's nothing fancy, but his breath is taken away all the same. With deft swiftness Chisaki removes his own clothes down to his boxers; he usually removes his prosthetics at night, but he decides to leave them this time.

"You're skin is like ice...get under the covers. You'll catch a cold."

Chisaki mumbles, reprimanding but not all that stern as he pulls the blankets over them. The bed is just barely big enough for the two of them to share, but it doesn't bother Chisaki; either way, he is intent on drawing Kiyoko closer, close enough so her limbs could be intertwined with his, so her head is tucked into the crook of his neck, and he can feel her heartbeat against his.

"I apologize. Is the metal uncomfortable?"

"...yes."

"I see."

Chisaki shifts and unhinges his artificial arms; he lets them fall to the side, and flops back somewhat clumsily on the bed.

"Kiyoko...come here."

She stares at him for a long moment; her eyes have ceased tearing up and they look somewhat unfocused. Kiyoko wordlessly lays her head by his shoulder, but it isn't what he wants.

"Your hand…"

Chisaki gazes at her, hopeful, and Kiyoko silently places a hand on his chest, arm draped prone over his torso. Her breathing is steady again, slow; Chisaki can feel it fanning out against his skin.

Her skin is flush against his, yet Chisaki isn't aroused, not quite.

Oh, not that he doesn't want her, but right now this isn't the time. This isn't about desire. It's need. It's intimacy. Kiyoko is still trembling and though the sensation is not exactly an unwelcome gesture by definition, Chisaki would prefer to have her trembling in ecstasy, not fright.

Kiyoko is more than a woman he wants to share his bed with. She is his idol and he is a worshipper, a devoted protector, someone who plans to show her the light. Is it so unreasonably to request she give herself to him completely in turn, to allow him ownership of her heart and mind when she has inconceivably enraptured his body and soul? Chisaki thinks not.

He sighs. Why the hell can't things be easier? What more does he have to do? It's getting tedious and he seems no closer to his goal.

But at least she's allowing this; whether it's from being afraid or something else, Kiyoko is basically holding him, though Chisaki would prefer to be the one initiating contact in the first place. Having her do it makes him uneasy, uncertain; he doesn't like not knowing what's to come. But this is fine, for now.

Chisaki looks down at her; it's better than fine, really. Kiyoko seems tired, half asleep, probably close to passing out from exhaustion and the wine. Kiyoko feels warm, but not clammy; her skin is smooth, her body is light, but there's definite weight there too. She is a solid presence against his chest. Her hair is tickling his chin a little but it's not like he can use a hand to smooth it down.

But all in all...it's nice.

Chisaki wonders if his words have touched her heart at all or if this is a fever dream. He supposes he'll know come morning.


End file.
